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2026-08-14: Christmas On Our Own Terms

2026-09-13T23:17:03Z

Fureasei: Created page with "*'''Log: Christmas On Our Own Terms''' *'''Cast:''' Niko Kirisaki, Kurou Ryouhara *'''Where:''' A residence in Tatsumi Port Island *'''OOC Date:''' August 14, 2026 *'''IC Date:''' Tuesday, December 24, 2012 (backdated) *'''Summary''': ''For their promised get-together (on a special holiday, by complete and total coincidence), Niko invites Kurou to a homely environment. But is it actually ''her'' home? What exactly is she planning? And will those plans survive con..."

*'''Log: Christmas On Our Own Terms'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Niko Kirisaki]], [[Kurou Ryouhara]]
*'''Where:''' A residence in Tatsumi Port Island
*'''OOC Date:''' August 14, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' Tuesday, December 24, 2012 (backdated)
*'''Summary''': ''For their promised get-together (on a special holiday, by complete and total coincidence), Niko invites Kurou to a homely environment. But is it actually ''her'' home? What exactly is she planning? And will those plans survive contact with Kurou...?''

----

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
When making plans with Niko Kirisaki, one should expect the unexpected. Especially given the plans are likely to be subject to twists and turns based on her whims. Or for her to just... not share anything about her plans to begin with, which appears to be the case for her planned Hangout That Just Happens To Be On Christmas Eve.

She's not at all followed up with Kurou on that since scheduling it two weeks ago, not even to confirm whether they were still on for it. Not something she was worried about, evidently. Perhaps it's because Kurou has just been going along with whatever she wanted to do that she didn't feel the need to share any plans on that front, either.

There may have been some cause for worry though, when even on the day of, there's still no text from Niko for most of the day. Not on her own accord, nor in reply to anything Kurou might have sent. It's not until late in the afternoon that a message finally arrives.

> ugh sry its been a day
> didnt forget tho
> still got the evening amirite?
> wanna meet at 7 or so?
> go here

What followed was an address in Tatsumi Port Island, and no further explanation about the actual activity. It's not an address anybody would recognize as being the location of a famous hangout spot, so at a glance, what she has in mind could be anything. Though if looked up, or already known due to familiarity with the neighborhood, there may be some additional question marks. Since there isn't anything there of particular note. That entire street is just filled with your average middle-class residences.

Indeed, the address Niko gave just points to... a house. One out of many ordinary homes meant for small families, in good condition, decently-sized, free-standing and with its own driveway (sans car). Looks like it'd be a nice, cozy place to call home. ...There's no way someone like Niko would live in a house like that though, right?

There's two easy ways to get answers, though. Ring the bell, or knock on the door. Regardless of the exact action, once Kurou's presence becomes known, the front door will open... and sure enough, there is Niko, smiling brightly as she so commonly does.

"Kurou-chan, so glad you could make it!" Just going to act as if there isn't anything strange about the circumstances, it seems. "Sorry about the wait, I was planning on hanging out more first, but I'll make it up to you, I promise. We'll make a party of it yet, you'll see!"

Same old Niko, for the most part. Aside from her outfit, that sure isn't the same as her usual. Looks like she's chosen to wear the pink skeleton dress again, the one she got for Halloween. But she's also wearing a black and white Santa hat, so now it counts as a Christmas outfit, clearly.

This was not the main consideration however, which is evident in the other notable addition to her ensemble. A satin scarf, loudly pink, is wrapped about her neck. It's a different material, and obviously a ''very'' different color, but it may still be obvious that she tried to get something similar in design to Kurou's scarf, and made an effort to wear it the same way he commonly does. For reasons which should be obvious, but since this is Kurou we're talking about, it's probably a good thing that she proceeds to explain herself, striking a pose as she does.

"Wanted to wear something you'd like, sooo I went with what I knew, with just a little extra. How'd I do?"

The other differences may have stood out a little more, but looking further down, there is one more: the black thigh-highs she's got on - in lieu of shoes, of course, being indoors. She doesn't usually wear socks of any kind, but going around barefoot seems to have been a bridge too far, even for her.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
<poem>
Fortunately(?) for everyone(??), Kurou knows so little of what to expect from hanging out as a baseline that his expectations do not exist to be ripped out from under him. Unfortunately(?) for Kurou(??), this also means he does not know what counts as ''unexpected''.

Thus he wanders, obliviously, into the darkness Niko has orchestrated, thinking very little of her lack of contact until the day of -- partially because exams, and partially because he has no reason to be suspicious.

> when and where?

Is all he says, and only then does worry nip at his thoughts with Niko's silence. Until, finally, a response.

> I'll be there

He arrives exactly at 7:00pm with a knock on the mysterious door.

Surely this isn't where she lives...?

Kurou dresses in street clothes in his usual style, but layered for winter in a close fitting turtleneck under a halfway buttoned up shirt under a jacket with a thick, faux fur-lined hood, but with his scarf ever-present. He has learned ''something'' from their Halloween experience: today may just happen to be Christmas, but it ''is'' Christmas.

... So Kurou is also wearing an antler headband with a bit of decorative holly on the right prong. His hair streak, usually blue, is dyed red, with his fingernails matching save for the ring fingers, which are painted green.

He had to touch up these things regardless, so it did not feel like much effort on his part. Leaving him wonder if, perhaps, he should have expended more he beholds Niko as she opens the door.

"Par... ty...?" the attempt at a question trails off. Niko may be gratified to notice that Kurou's attention immediately fixates on the scarf on her throat before taking in the rest of her as she poses, thigh highs and festive hat and all.

Something he would like...?

"... I do like skeleton-chan," he admits, before tilting his head with his confusion. "But... I do not think I would ever dislike it, if you wore what you like best."

What goes unvoiced is: why would she worry about what he liked, when choosing what to wear...?

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Few words as usual, nothing new there. Niko can and frequently does babble enough for the both of them, that's fine. Doesn't mean Kurou isn't hype for this, in his own way. Niko has concluded that he is, and she could never be wrong in her assessments.

But when Kurou arrives at the appointed time, never mind anything else for the moment - it is of the highest possible importance that her question receives an answer. Does he like her outfit??

Niko would be lying if she claimed she wouldn't have liked a stronger reaction than that, but she would also not know Kurou very well if she'd expected that from him. It's a good enough sign that he takes a moment to take it in, and take special notice of the scarf (which to be fair is eye-catching to the point where most might call it eye-searing). Still...

"Complimenting skills need work, Kurou-chan. Gotta make with the adjectives! Y'know, stunning, radiant, that sorta thing?" She doesn't look displeased, all the same. Her grin only grows when she points in Kurou's direction. "But hey, see you're learning to get into the spirit of things. Nice color details and accessorizing!"

Any other questions, voiced or unvoiced, go unanswered as she motions inside. "Well, don't just stand there, come in, come in! Don't forget about your shoes~" And off she trots down the entryway, passing by a set of stairs towards the living room beyond.

Once inside, it takes only a glance to see that it's not an empty house Niko appropriated, it's obviously lived-in. Yet only Niko's sneakers are present in the shoe box next to the door. Proceeding further, one can see a number of family pictures on the wall, enough to extrapolate a family with a single child. The portrait of a girl a few years younger than Niko is currently doesn't resemble her in the slightest. It may not answer every question about all this, but it's certainly enough to start forming a working theory.

As for Niko, she is completely unconcerned about volunteering extra context, sprawled out on the leather coach as she switches on the TV. A pretty recent model, for those in the know, adding to general vibe that whoever lives here must be decently well-off. Kind of the opposite impression Niko tends to leave.

Legs put up on the salon table, Niko switches the channel, muting the sound of the news that's currently on before gesturing at the screen. "Home Alone's gonna be on in a bit. Do you know that movie? I watch it every year around this time, it's like a tradition." Not quite as common a tradition as in certain other countries perhaps, but sounds like it's one that Niko observes all the same. Scary movies aren't the only kinds of movies she likes, it seems.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
<poem>
Kurou is, above all, deeply Kurou, for better or for worse. How much he might look forward to something is poorly demonstrated. But he checked in, and he arrived, and he even dressed for the occasion.

It is about as loud as Kurou gets.

His face remains stoic, but his gaze sharp and attentive. He even accepts his scolding with a glance downward and small nod of understanding. "... I see." The pieces are slow to come together. She could have worn anything, but wanted to wear something he would like... maybe in the same way that he wanted to wear something festive, the way she tends to prefer.

And he ''does'' like it. So he should say so. With adjectives. Niko even leads by example.

After a moment of mediation, Kurou looks back up at her. Festive, but in a Halloween way... Almost dangerous, but bright and softly colored... "Niko-chan looks cute," he concludes, with unabashed honesty.

Only then does he enter -- after a small bow -- and removes his shoes to follow her inside.

There are ''several'' unspoken questions, but enough for Kurou to observe before he formulates ones. He takes several moments too long at the other shoes and at the pictures on the wall.

Finally, he vaults over the back of the couch to sit cross legged on it, as sitting on the couch seems to be what the plan is for the moment. He turns his head to one side, lifting it before his antlers begin to slip.

"I don't remember seeing it before." He looks to the TV. "Or any Christmas traditions, but..." A new thought is running through his mind, but it does not finish before he takes another look around the house and looks to her.

"... Is this your home, Niko-chan?"

It seems rude to word the query in any way that implies he thinks the answer is ''no''.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Already one thing goes contrary to Niko's expectations. In spite of her assertions, she wasn't expecting Kurou to actually... take her advice, right away. It would have been less embarrassing had he simply parroted back her own suggested adjectives. But when he picks, of all things, 'cute'...

Well, that was all the more reason for Niko to retreat in haste, recompose herself a little in private. And wonder, not for the first time... is she stupid? Throwing out flippant remarks like that, despite knowing that if it's turned around on her she'll get all flustered like this? And even though it's nice to hear things like that... what is she expecting to happen here, really?

By the time Kurou rejoins her, she is still far from any answers to such questions, which she absolutely plans to remain unspoken. Her smile may mask many things, but it's no less genuine for it.

"It's a comedy movie," she volunteers when Kurou says he's unfamiliar, already having decided, "You'll like it." Yeah, people get hurt, but it happens in a funny way, and to people you don't need to feel sorry for. Really not very different from her current 'job' when you think about it.

Niko is of course perfectly aware that she doesn't exactly fit the mold of someone who'd live in a house like this. Yet somehow, she is still struck unprepared for the possibility of Kurou asking about it. She'd thought him reliably heedless of such details. Why would he care enough to ask about that, of all things...?

Groove effectively ruined by Kurou going off-script compared to what she'd imagined, her sudden silence is striking. Niko's usually so quick to respond, and that wasn't a very complicated question, was it? And yet...

Abruptly, Niko stands up from the couch. "...Actually, hang on. There's something else we should get to first." With that, she heads off into the conjoined kitchen, as if she hadn't heard the question at all. This appears to be her answer to going off-script, skipping to the next page. Where she has what she thinks might be a suitable distraction ready. Out from the fridge, she retrieves... a strawberry cake.

"Ta-da~" she announces as she moves to place it down on the dinner table. "Hope you didn't have a big dinner! Admit it, you were thinking about it, right? So was I! Wouldn't be Christmas without one of these, am I right?"

Perfect smoke screen, obviously cake is far more important than the matter of whose house this is.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
<poem>
It is because Niko already used those adjectives that Kurou could not, for they ''would'' be parroted, and thus, a failure of her intended instruction. It had to be his own. But, hm, perhaps 'cute' is not what she was going for, rushing off like that...

He should not lie to her about such things, but perhaps there's a different true adjective he should try next time...?

"Comedy," Kurou echoes, nodding. "I am not very good at laughter, but I would like to see it." He has no idea how right he is, and how impressed he is going to be with the creative use of holiday decorations in home defense.

But when Kurou tries to discern the house situation, he is left again with the impression he has ventured the wrong sort of response. If the answer is ''no'', that is -- as far as someone like Kurou is concerned -- a normal and neutral answer. It would make sense.

Yet there's a concern tickling at the back of his mind...

Niko gets up, and Kurou straightens, too. "... Something else?" he says, and he does not press further for the moment, walking blindly into Niko's critical hit distraction.

Kurou's pupils dilate, attention entirely fixated on the strawberry cake as it moves from fridge to table, and his voice gets just a little bit softer.

"... Is it all right? Ah... thank you." He looks over the rest of the kitchen, then back to her. "May I use the kitchen to make us tea?"

He doesn't need to know if the house is hers or not, truly. But he does want to know where certain boundaries lie. But isn't that assuming the house ''has'' tea, or does Kurou actually carry some with him...?

Don't be absurd. Of course he does.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Niko would never have guessed Kurou's thought patterns would lead him to take things seriously in such an immediate way. Really, how well ''did'' she ever really know him...?

A movie would have been a good distraction in its own right, but with things progressing like this, Niko didn't feel like she could afford to wait until it starts. So, plan B: straight to cake! Anything to prevent further Complications. Which, it is fair to question, how complicated could it really be, if she could have simply said 'yes' or 'no' and kept it at that? Was that not an option in her mind?

Whatever the case, all must now move aside in favor of cake. "Whaddaya mean is it all right? It's what you do on Christmas! Nothing could be more right!" Leaving the cake where it is, she moves back into the kitchen to retrieve plates. ...Which she doesn't find in the first cabinet she opens. Looking more and more like that question should have had an easy answer.

With Kurou making his offer, she readily agrees, "Oh, good thinking! Tea and cake, now we've got ourselves a party." A ''tea party'', if you will. She stops short of actually saying that, instead considering, "Hope there's some around." Another thing that would be slightly odd to say if you were in your own house, but... hopefully we're done overthinking things...? Niko realizes that possible issue only after she'd already said it.

It's difficult all of a sudden. Now she has to think about her words around Kurou, when she always felt so free to say whatever came to mind. She doesn't want things to be that way, she's just really unsure about her judgement of Kurou. And all it took was a single innocent and very fair question. The revelation that Kurou always has tea in his pocket is only going to make him feel even less predictable. It's kind of absurd to let that get to her, but factually knowing that can't change the way she feels.

Trying to put it out of her mind, she moves back to the dining table to set down the plates and forks she collected from the kitchen, then moving to cut the cake. "Gonna make these big slices," she declares, before asserting, "We deserve it. Don't we, Kurou-chan?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
<poem>
Despite the distraction, Kurou soon returns to his intent observing of Niko and the situation, trying to silently piece together as much as he can while Niko seems to feel uncomfortable addressing it.

For better or for worse, though, that cake really is distracting for him. Fluffy strawberry cake...

"That is no concern. I always carry a small cache of sencha with me, just in case." In case of what? "It is a mild flavor that should pair well with a light cake."

He hunts for cups and a kettle himself, but failing that, grabs a simple pot to boil water. It is less strange for him not to be able to immediately track them down, hopefully. As he sets the temperature, he keeps looking at the surface, rather than Niko, as he hunts for his words again.

"I am not familiar with Christmases. Or traditions. But... Yes, I think... big slices are deserved." For him? Or maybe for Niko. "And... if there is anything else that makes this feel like home, even if only for today, on a day that is coincidentally Christmas..."

Finally, Kurou turns to look back to her.

"... Then we should do that, and I will not ask any more questions."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
In spite of how strange this new Kurou fact is, a chortle escapes Niko all the same, filling in the blank, "In case of a tea emergency? Damn, you're well-prepared." For strangely specific situations, but. Maybe he just likes tea ''that much''. If only cake could be as easily kept in one's pocket.

As Kurou prepares the tea, Niko prepares the cake. Her side of things obviously takes far less time, so she goes ahead and takes a seat. Then takes up a fork, and proceeds to twirl it between her fingers. She's impatient to have cake, yes, but wants to wait for Kurou to join her all the same.

The way Kurou's following words strike her, well, she doesn't have a problem sharing her opinion on the initial ones. "That's sad, not having those kinds of memories. Big slices super deserved all the more then. Gotta learn about the good things." That's what she hoped for today, to be able to focus on the good things. There's too much bad going on already.

But Kurou isn't done talking. It looks like Niko might be, following that. There's a clatter, as she fumbles her fork-twirl and drops it to the table. She doesn't pick it back up. Just sort of staring ahead, with a very difficult to read expression. She just kind of looks stunned, dazed almost. Was it something he said? Almost certainly.

It takes some time before she shows signs of life again. In the form of finally reaching for her fork again, this time plunging it into the cake, and bringing a large piece of it to her mouth. She chews, slowly, her eyes closing as a smile comes to her face... while a tear rolls down her cheek, stained black by her make-up.

''Sometimes I want to laugh and cry at once''

Perhaps this is the sort of instance that her song referred to. It takes a moment longer for her to speak again, much softer than before.

"...I can't do this anymore, Kurou. I don't... want to make it feel like you can't ask questions. So..." Her eyes open, showing the wistful sadness her smile doesn't. "No, this is not my home. But I lived in a house like this, once."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
<poem>
"It is something that helps," Kurou says, almost cryptically. Helps with what? It isn't that he means to hide things himself from someone like Niko, but that many of his thoughts simply don't complete in spoken word as much as they really ought.

Though the water does take longer to boil than it takes to slice a cake, it does not take too much longer, nor does this brew steep for long. Especially with the slow and stilted way Kurou works through his thoughts, and with Niko's own dazed reaction.

He sets down a novelty mug with a butterfly shaped handle for Niko, the steaming tea a perfect shade of green. As it touches to the table, his own mug still grasped in his hand, he pauses to look at her while the fork clatters against the ground.

"Niko-chan...?"

Kurou does not dare speak, or even move, beyond that. Not until Niko herself stabs her cake to smile and cry all at once. He slides into his own seat, in front of his slice, to set his cup down, and reaches to Niko's face with the edge of his sleeve to catch the tear as his chest squeezes at the sight of it.

"I... apologize. You planned a movie. And brought cake. And secured a house. It was not my intention, but... I have only made you cry."

Even tea does not make up for that.

She lived in a house like this, once. Then she does not now. And that is no surprise, except that even Kurou is suddenly made aware of the weight of loss and grief.

"I will leave no trace of us being here, no matter how much you live in it today," he promises.

So she can live in the house as much as she wants, if just for today.

For these are the reasons he asks his questions: simple, practical ones, so that he can maximize how useful he is being.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
There's a sharp intake of breath from Niko, as Kurou wipes away her tear. She wasn't expecting that. It looks to have pulled her back into the here and now, although she still looks far from the way she usually does. And she looks at Kurou differently from the way she usually does. It's difficult to identify what sort of way that might be, she mostly just seems confused.

Her expression softens, though, as Kurou apologizes to her. A small smile is quick to appear, when in response, she lightly punches his arm. "Hey. I was stupid too, don't take all the credit."

She sniffs, rubbing her nose in a self-conscious gesture. That was... very embarrassing. She tries hard not to let anyone see her like that. But... she's starting to consider that maybe it's alright, when it's Kurou. After all, even with how different their respective circumstances are, they are still the same in a fundamental way. If anyone can understand, then it would be him, wouldn't it...?

"I was just... trying to make Christmas feel the way it used to. The same people aren't here, but I thought that, as long as all the elements were there..." She shakes her head. "See, it's stupid. I know I can't have what I really want. Not here."

Raising a finger as if to stop any objections, as well as communicate that she isn't done, she continues, "Thought I could get you to just quietly go along with it, like you usually do. But... I actually like it better, when you question things that should be questioned. So, don't feel bad about that. AND--" Her finger lashes out suddenly, to boop Kurou on the nose. "You're not handling the cleanup by yourself. We'll do it together. AFTER we enjoy the rest of today. Alright?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
<poem>
Kurou pulls back quicker than he had reached forward, as if he had burned himself, or had burned her, to see that look he cannot quite read. Niko's expressions are usually open and vivid, but he understands all too well that sometimes an expression isn't because you're hiding it.

It's because your face doesn't know what to do. After all, that's all his is like.

Niko's playful punch seems to bring Kurou himself back to reality with her. "Ah... I'm sorry." He says it like the credit were something that were greedy to take.

As Niko explains herself, the pieces click together easier, and he sets a gaze upon her, almost heated for its sudden intensity. His lips part and --

Niko's finger raises.

Kurou shuts his mouth, silenced, even though his eyes do not change. He allows her to finish. Quietly going along versus questioning things... But...

B-Boop?!

Kurou's eyes cross, losing that intensity, and refocus slowly back on Niko.

"... Alright," he agrees. "But... It is not stupid to want it." Maybe it's too late to say that, now. So he repeats it, for emphasis: "It is not stupid at all."

Another squeeze seizes his chest, thinking on it. A weight that feels precarious and precious at once. Niko wanted Christmas to feel like Christmas, and she invited Kurou into that space.

It is not something he intends to take lightly.

"... To be honest..." he begins carefully, "The reason I asked is not merely to know how to clean up, but because it did seem the answer could be 'yes'."

Even when it obviously should have been no. Now he understands why he felt that pulse of contradiction.

But why should ''that'' matter? Kurou remembers the conversations he's had with Umie, and with Ren, and Niko herself. 'This world' and 'that world'. Niko understands 'that world', while struggling to cling to 'this' one in a way Kurou didn't think was possible at first...

"... Because I want to keep learning about new facets of Niko-chan. Scary movies. Song lyrics. Christmas traditions."

Kurou sticks his fork into his own slice of cake thoughtfully.

"Perhaps it will not be exactly the same. But... we can make it something you want to remember, like you still want to remember the years before."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
It certainly isn't often that Niko's face doesn't appear to know what to do. That smile just seems to come naturally, regardless of how much she hides behind it.

Even now, it doesn't fail her for long. Chuckling at Kurou's apology, she goes on to explain her intentions - original and current - then looks at him expectantly. Likely Kurou would have had a difficult time figuring out her expectations if he thought about it, but his instincts get that one right. All she expected was for him to not simply agree with every single thing she said. Ironic though it may be, considering him going along with everything she said is how they ended up getting here in the first place.

Any objection would have been fine, in that regard. But the specific objection, that what she wants isn't stupid, she appreciates all the more. She averts her eyes from Kurou's, softly replying, "...Thanks, for saying that."

Her gaze returns upon his assertion that he thought this might really have been her house. That prompts a chuckle. "Not sure if that makes you really dumb, or really smart." There was no way this could have been her actual house, it should have been obvious. But Kurou still asked. Perhaps on some level already realizing that she was looking to see her house in this one. And in the process, get through what would have been a very difficult day, if she'd been forced to spend it entirely unlike the way she normally would have. Before... all this.

Yet just when it seemed like Kurou cracked the Niko code, thereby preventing him from getting made fun of ever again, she openly laughs in his face at his following words. That phrasing, she just couldn't help herself.

"You wanna know about my ''facets'', huh? Lot of things I could say to that, and you wouldn't get any of 'em. That cluelessness..."

She shakes her head, and there's a momentary pause, stopping herself from saying her thoughts out loud. Before deciding to do so anyway. "...That's what makes Kurou-chan cute."

She can almost feel her cheeks burning, saying that. She pushes past it, forcing a more boisterous tone. "Well in that case, stick around! Can't promise it'll always be interesting, but I know how to have a good time! I'm allll about making good memories." Which, as she should have made clear today, requires good company.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
<poem>
Kurou is not someone who's prone to rebellion for its own sake, and if asked, he'd say that he does not have much reason to object to Niko. Even now, he did not mean to object. Only to learn.

But in saying this is stupid... that he will and does object to.

"Mm... I am supposed to be focusing on my studies..." Kurou comments of the debate of his intelligence. So if it's very dumb, perhaps he can fix that...? (Unfortunately, no, not in any of the ways that would help him with Niko. Or anything else, for that matter.)

When she laughs, Kurou watches her, unstartled, and instead with a glimmer of something approaching relief. A Niko-chan who smiles easily, who laughs, who is bright pink... He knows she may have complicated feelings about it all, under the circumstances they share. But... he still likes these things about her, too.

His head predictably starts to tilt at her words, though. He is about to ask what she means when she calls ''him'' cute.

Kurou's face may not change, but his eyes seem to be doing a similar sparkle to when he saw the strawberry cake. It's strikingly puppyish.

Mercifully, he does not try to pry into this sentiment further.

"I did not plan to be anywhere else today."

She invited him to 'hang out' today, after all. But now that he knows it is important that it is Christmas, and not merely a coincidence, there is something he must say.

"Ah, and... Merry Christmas, Niko-chan."

</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 2]]

2026-07-17: Don't Be Shy, Belt It Out

2026-07-22T23:09:42Z

Fureasei: Created page with "*'''Log: Don't Be Shy, Belt It Out''' *'''Cast:''' Niko Kirisaki, Kurou Ryouhara *'''Where:''' Paulownia Mall *'''OOC Date:''' July 17, 2026 *'''IC Date:''' December 11, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''Niko tricks Kurou out of class for hangout purposes, in a way that would only work on him. In a spur of the moment decision, the hangout becomes a visit to Karaoke Bar Mandragora, where Niko expresses her emotions through song. This prompts a discussion on the nature of jus..."

*'''Log: Don't Be Shy, Belt It Out'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Niko Kirisaki]], [[Kurou Ryouhara]]
*'''Where:''' Paulownia Mall
*'''OOC Date:''' July 17, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' December 11, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Niko tricks Kurou out of class for hangout purposes, in a way that would only work on him. In a spur of the moment decision, the hangout becomes a visit to Karaoke Bar Mandragora, where Niko expresses her emotions through song. This prompts a discussion on the nature of justice and... claw machines...? At least there surely could be no ulterior motives behind scheduling to meet again in two weeks' time...''

----

(|============================== Paulownia Mall ==============================|)
-======================================= Iwatodai City/Tatsumi Port Island ====-
A great glass dome surrounds Paulownia Mall, its name displayed in great letters
on its rim. Within this circular structure, made beautiful with water features,
the mall bustles. A central fountain pours out, eternally, surrounded by benches
for weary shoppers; two more pools stand by the entrance, decorated by
well-trimmed hedges behind them. The brown patterning on the floor emphasises
the circular nature of this place, all carved to equal segments; pillars
surrounding the sides provide structure and guidance, separating each store from
the other.

And the shops one can find here are many. Game Parade is a popular arcade,
particularly amongst nearby Gekkoukan students, and its crane game has foiled
many a hopeful date. Kenneth Arnold offers music albums, while Mandragora
Karaoke Bar, up a flight of stairs nearby, offers live music experiences for
those who prefer active participation. Club Escapade is another great option for
music-lovers, alongside those seeking Fortune-Telling services or looking for
shady informants -- but it's only open at night, and technically, it's only for
people who are over 18. Practically speaking, teenagers sometimes sneak in,
anyway... but curious teens ought to be careful, because a few shops over, one
can find the Tatsumi East Police Station. Chagall Cafe, at least, is both open
during the day and open to all ages! Aohige Pharmacy offers pharmaceuticals to
cure any ailment, while Be Blue V offers an eclectic variety of items and
treatments to improve one's health and wellbeing. Finally, Mayoido Antiques
offers unique weapons and armour for those who bring in supernatural
materials... and the proprietor seems to know more than she really ought to
about that world.

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
A terrible tragedy and injustice has occurred. Niko Kirisaki... is bored. Not for lack of things to do, just for lack of specific things she feels like doing and the possibility of doing them right now. The mood has struck for wanting to hang out with people, but not just any people, and the people she wants to hang out with wouldn't be able to be here right now. It's just, the worst it's ever been.

She tried to settle for playing some games at Game Parade, but it wasn't sufficient distraction from what she would have preferred. In fact, it only made it worse. It kept making her think 'this game is nice and all, but it would've been nicer in two-player mode'. She sighs deeply as she exits the arcade, fishing out her phone. What are her options here?

Scrolling through her contact list, she stops as she hones in on one particular name. "Kurou-chan..." He'd have to be still at school right now. But what if...?

Niko can't help but snicker to herself as she hatches a plan. A plan that would have zero chance of working on anything else. But knowing what Kurou's like, and to what degree he's been going along with her so far... she just can't help herself from continually pushing her luck. The first text comes out without much thought put into it.

> ugh i'm dying over here

Most people would not default to taking that literally. But if she doesn't clarify herself, Kurou just might. There is a crossroads here, where she could downplay it and just have some conversation over the phone... or, she could double down and see where that goes.

But let's be real, she was only ever going to pick one of those options.

> niko kirisaki, 16, found tortured to death at paulownia mall
> is what the news would say if they cared
> if only someone would save me
> but what are the odds of that
> hint hint

There is no way, ''no way'' anyone would seriously take that as if her life were really in any actual danger, and this was a real cry for help. Except, perhaps, for Kurou. Last time, the misunderstanding through the phrasing of her texts was an accident. Now she is actively trying to trick him.

Has he learned anything from last time? Even if he did, could he take the risk to not come? And if he does, will he be upset, or will he fail to even realize what's going on? Come on Kurou, don't disappoint her now!

And so, if Kurou does indeed show up... he will find Niko standing at the crane game outside of the arcade, her latest attempt at obtaining a Jack Frost doll a failure at the last hurdle.

"Oh come ON! This thing is so rigged! Argh, this is torture!"

See, she wasn't lying about the torture.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
<poem>
Despite a number of harrowing and peculiar events in Kurou's life recently, he is, in fact, in school. It would be remiss of him to be unable to maintain an education and keep his grades up, and it isn't as if Kasu attendees and teachers are unused to one of their student body nursing minor injuries.

It also isn't unusual for them to be skirting the rules to do things like checking their messages. Akabane-san might need something at the hospital, or --

At the first text, Kurou launches up from his seat, bows to the teacher with a swift apology, and leaves without waiting to give anyone the chance to try and stop him. His eyes are on his phone while his senses hunt the periphery to navigate the halls, get to his locker, and get his shoes and belongings in order.

''Where?'' he does not have to ask, because Niko helpfully provides where her suffering is taking place.

> omw

Not a single complete word to clarify himself. He must ''really'' be in urgency mode.

Unfortunately, there's little time to make preparations. Fortunately, Kurou is a shinobi, and he is always prepared for first aid and a fight. There does not seem yet anything amiss about the mall, supernaturally or otherwise. But there could be something going on in the back areas, or one of the shops, or in the basement...

... or at the... crane game...?

Kurou blinks once. Then twice. He wears his winter uniform with his vest thrown on over it, and his school bag carefully carried on only one shoulder.

"Niko-chan...?" he greets carefully, but it really does sound more like a question, and soft spoken enough she might not even hear it before he makes his approach.

Either way, it's her only warning before he ''does'' approach, immediately inspecting her for signs of injury, exertion, or distress. His eyes scan the area swiftly before settling back on her, and his voice lowering.

"... Do we need to make a clean exit?"

He doesn't even get it yet...!

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
'But you still have to go to school today.' An eternal refrain for so many at this age. Not for Niko though. She's had her own recent adventures, involving Reapers, Hunters, Jokas, all that fun stuff. And you know what she did after each and every one of those harrowing battles? She ''slept in'', not getting up until she dang well felt like it. This may be the true source of her power.

Her power to deceive, too, can be strong, when she puts effort into it. She didn't exactly put zero effort into this either, she just tailored it to what she thought would work on Kurou. Yet even she wouldn't have guessed it would work THAT well. Would've given her a good laugh to see Kurou just bolting at the first vaguely worded text like that.

Immediately pocketing her phone and not looking at the response that was just about as immediate served a double purpose. Making it look as if she wasn't able to answer, and wanting to be surprised by the exact effect. Truly incredible, she'll conclude later.

For the moment, she is here, just casually standing outside the arcade, not having bothered to do anything about the mode of dress she's most known for. She must not get cold so quickly. Or... hurt so quickly? She looks absolutely fine.

She doesn't act any less typical, quickly turning at the sound of her name and giving a cheerful wave. "Kurou-chan, you made it! Thank you so much for saving me!" From boredom, she doesn't bother to clarify. Let him try to figure it out. Whatever it is he did, it seems to have made her happy, and isn't that what really counts?

Nodding a few times, she agrees, "Yeah, you're right, this place kinda blows." Looking about the mall, there really aren't a whole lot of other options she considers valid. Escapade isn't open yet, so that leaves... she grins, laying eyes on the establishment at the top of the stairs in the back.

"Y'know Kurou-chan, I think it's about time we get to know each other a little more. And I think I know just the way!" A way which, as Niko proceeds to demonstrate, leads directly up those stairs. There's only one thing up there. Even if unfamiliar, it's easily recognized as a Karaoke Bar due to the huge sign out front that says KARAOKE MANDRAGORA.

Now, Kurou, are you any closer to figuring out the mystery of what's going on here...?
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
<poem>
This is a truly terrifying power that would instill a sense of awe even in Kurou. Is it even one he's considered before himself...?

What he should consider is deception. Certainly Kurou could be no stranger to it, nor one to using it himself if he leads a dangerous life. And yet, here he is, immediately. His breathing is carefully controlled to muffle the possible sound it may make, but there's no hiding that at this proximity how labored it is in his rush to get here.

Niko has a Persona herself, and frequents the kind of places where she'd have to learn either skill in fighting or avoiding fights altogether. And it isn't as if she looks like she can't handle herself, though Kurou knows appearances can be deceiving.

(Do you know what else can be deceiving, Kurou?!)

Her cheerful manner does not faze him, but nor does it bring him any relief. If the situation is precarious, it's best to act within typical expectations. "Right," he simply says of this place, and follows Niko's gaze to MANDRAGORA.

With a single, swift nod, Kurou agrees. "Let's go."

It would be an unassuming hiding place to wait out any dangerous elements she may be avoiding, and a good defensible position if it should pursue them there... if someone were even so bold to attempt it within the establishment in the first place.

Niko has exceptional instincts... perhaps, Kurou reflects with concern, ones forcibly honed.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
There is often a measure of truth to be found in any deception. There is a way of reading Niko's texts that would be entirely accurate to the way she feels, deep down. All it takes is having the right context in mind.

Niko is not one to provide the proper context often, definitely not this one. Though she'd trust Kurou with the full truth more than most, words alone wouldn't do it justice. Some things cannot simply be told. They must be felt, and the proper conclusions drawn from there.

He probably has no idea that Niko's spur-of-the-moment intentions are found in that very area. Niko doesn't even believe that herself. Still, she wants to make an effort to reach out, to share something of herself, just to see what'll happen. Maybe it'll be nothing. But she can have fun with it, all the same.

Niko is quick to head inside Mandragora, rushing ahead a little. When Kurou enters, she can be heard talking to someone down the hall.

"...make an exception, for me?"

"You're putting me in a tough spot here, Niko-chan."

"I'll make up for it later! You know I'm good for it!"

"Egh, fine... you know the way."

Whatever that was all about, Kurou won't have to worry about the talking, Niko has already done all of what was required, motioning him over to one of the booths. Where, upon entering, Niko drops herself down on one of the colorful, soft-cushioned seats, motioning Kurou over to sit on the opposite side of the table.

The rooms here are pretty spacious, with room for seating many more people than just two... but the soundproofing could be better. Singing loudly while not caring what other people think could be a good way to build Courage! Not that either of these particular visitors is in dire need to have more of that. And they're not here to sing anyway, are they?

Yeah no, Niko's already started flipping through the available tracks. She is absolutely here to sing. If there were any doubts of that still, her words should remove those. "Nothing like a song to really put your feelings out there, don't you agree, Kurou-chan? I got a good one in mind, how about you?" And she is expecting him to sing, too?!

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
<poem>
What matters, at the end of the day, is the sincere truth that lies at the heart of things. Everything else is distraction.

Perhaps Kurou has the kind of insight to navigate the world this way.

Perhaps he has a different problem.

It's not the first time Kurou has seen Niko able to charm her way through a situation. A great skill to be sure, and one that, sadly, eludes him. Umie had said that about Ren, too... someone who was surrounded by friends. Is Niko like that? Kurou knows his strengths are in other areas, but maybe he relies too much on the kind of person who can see past where he is deficient...

There's no time for that kind of thinking now, though.

He follows Niko easily, with only a quick look over his shoulder for any unusual activity before entering to shut the door behind them.

Kurou presses his ear up against the door after it's shut. The soundproofing means they need to be careful, but it also means they have more warning if something happens. He then assesses the room while pulling a small wedge from his bag and shoving it under the door to keep it further blocked on their side. Yes, he could work with this, if the worst should happen, and satisfied, takes his seat as directed.

"Is there someone I need to keep an eye out for --"

Oh. She's already making use of the karaoke machine...

Kurou scratches his cheek. "Ah..." Given the lack of soundproofing, it would help keep them from being suspicious, but... He hadn't thought this far ahead. "... I am... not well versed in this kind of thing..."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Niko certainly has ways of getting her way. Kurou's being subjected to that right now, and she's pretty sure he still hasn't realized he's being played. Which isn't actually her preferred way of doing things. It's better when people are fully aware of what she's doing and choose to go along with it anyway.

Fighting is one way to win. But isn't it a much better way to win if you can convince people to stop trying to fight you?

This, though... this is just kind of making her feel bad. To see the way Kurou is still acting under a mistaken impression, which, to be fair, no one should still be operating under at this point. He's taking it all so seriously. All on her behalf. It's... nice, in a way. But also based on a (poorly veiled) lie. Hopefully, her plans from here can make up for it a little bit.

"...Kurou-chan." Niko points her finger to the menu card on the table, not to indicate any of the available refreshments, but to draw attention to Mandragora's slogan, which she speaks aloud for emphasis. "'Don't be shy, belt it out!' Trust me, it's the best way to communicate things that are... difficult to talk about." Her level of cheer only dropped for a short moment there, it's right back for the next sentence. "Lemme show you how it's done!"

Wasting no time, she takes up the cordless mike, and moves to put her back to the screen, not needing to look at the lyrics for what she has in mind. There's no real need to stand while singing, but she's choosing to anyway. Doesn't make sense to her any other way, when she's putting on a show for someone.

"How's your English?" she questions at the last possible moment. "That's what I vibe with for singing, so if you struggle with that, pay extra close attention, 'kay?" Leaving no room for objection, she queues up the track she selected.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoUeDQH2E5M

As an electric guitar leads in the song, Niko starts to sway side to side, easily settling into a groove. She smiles brightly, moving her right hand from one side to the other as if passing over an imaginary audience, in her mind consisting of many more than just one person. Right on cue, she casually leads in with the first verse.

Grab the key, let's go out and have some fun
Have you ever seen such a perfect day?
What's in your mind? Let's do it, one by one
Have you ever thought such a day would come?

The energy increases as she transitions into the second verse, then the third, pouring genuine feeling into it. She very much meant what she said - this is her way of laying out what she's all about, and she feels that these lyrics form a fitting summary of what that is.

Time's up! Forget the theory
Start up the brand new story
Straight up and put it shortly
This is the way my life goes

Someone said I am such a foolish girl
Who cares? It's better than without a light
Sometimes I need someone to hold me tight
Explain to me what is justice, what is right?

Niko meets Kurou's eyes, smile growing wider. She's enjoying all aspects of this, the singing as well as having him listen to it. But that was just the intro, the part where anyone could see how it applies to Niko. Except perhaps the last part, betraying a certain sense of vulnerability. Following the brief break, her expression abruptly turns more serious, slowly but surely letting a measure of frustration bleed into her singing for the next set of verses.

Wait a minute, it's all been done before
How long it takes to do it all over again
What's in your hand? Now drop them, one by one
Have you ever thought such a day would come?

Shut up! You're so wordy
Forget about all those worries
Show me your smile, how charming
Go home and kiss your mommy!

Somehow I hate to see you lie and lie
I know how dumb I am but so are you
Sometimes I want to laugh and cry at once
Explain to me what is justice, what is right?

An instrumental break provides the opening for Niko to do something Kurou's seen before. She starts to dance, eyes closed as she twirls about, looking lost in the melody. It also provides a moment to think about the two sets of verses, their similarities, their differences. If this is indeed what 'Niko is about', as she put it, her deeper feelings are on display here. If this is how she's choosing to share them, she's unlikely to elaborate. What you hear is what you get.

Perfectly in time, Niko is back in her previous position on cue, finishing out with a repeat of some of the earlier verses. The energy has reached its peak here, Niko raising the volume of her voice even higher, grasping the microphone with both hands and never opening her eyes throughout.

Shut up! You're so wordy
Forget about all those worries
Show me your smile, how charming
Go home and kiss your mommy!

Someone said I am such a foolish girl
Who cares? It's better than without a light
Sometimes I need someone to hold me tight
Explain to me what is justice, what is right?

Somehow I hate to see you lie and lie
I know how dumb I am but so are you
Sometimes I want to laugh and cry at once
Explain to me what is justice, what is right?

As the song finishes on a final guitar hit, Niko stretches her right arm forward, shouts "THANK YOU!" at the top of her lungs, then drops the mike on the floor. Only then does she open her eyes, her smile returning as she takes a bow.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
<poem>
''No one should still be operating under at this point.'' At this point, Niko should really be absolved of any guilt. Unfortunately: Kurou. But this is his own sincerity, to take it this much to heart, and to act to make sure Niko receives the help she asked for.

...''is what the news would say if they cared''

Kurou cares.

Niko directs him to the menu. Or more to the point, its slogan. Belt it out. Difficult things. His brow furrows briefly. Is it possible singing is not all that different from dancing...? A voice is still part of the body... But if Niko is willing to demonstrate, that's more useful to him than speculation.

"All right," he promises. Pay extra close attention: the words are important, even if they're in a foreign language.

As Niko begins to 'belt it out', Kurou sits straight up. His eyes are just a fraction wider, as if it's necessary to hear more clearly. And his hands, steady on his lap, begin to twitch as his finger follows the rhythm.

Even if he's not fluent in English, there is so much in her expression and her tone beyond the words he catches. His finger freezes when she looks right at him, as if that smile was intense enough to pin him there.

Things that are difficult to talk about...

After her song finishes, Kurou is quiet for a few extra seconds, as if still lost in the realm of his own thoughts with song and dance to interpret. He slams back into the present moment as the mike hits the floor, bringing his hands together in a quiet but rapid clapping: the very manifestation of pachi pachi.

It tapers as Kurou falls into thoughtful silence, until:

"'Justice,'" he says in English, before repeating in Japanese. "Justice." It seems for a dangerous moment that might be all he understood before he looks back up at Niko. "... Being true to yourself or how you feel... might be the most important kind of justice."

But that's difficult for both of them, isn't it? The conversation they had about how that was taken from them. Yet even now, Niko fights to still let what is 'Niko' shine through... Kurou's finger begins to tap his thigh again, feeling the song's rhythm resonate even in the wake of its ending.

His gaze lowers with his rumination. The voice he heard on the ship, the one Umie and Shiryuu said was not there, and should not be listened to... the one that told him it was too late to become unbroken... Why is he remembering it now...?

To 'laugh' and 'cry' all at once...

"... I see," he finally says, looking back up at her. "The kind of 'saving' Niko-chan needs... Oh."

Somehow ''now'' he gets that part...?!

"The claw machines are rigged," he confirms, several god damn minutes too late. "Claw strength varies each attempt. They are typically designed more like a lottery than a game of consistent skill."

That isn't even important anymore!!

... Except it is, because it meant he ignored her real problem in that moment.

Just like he wasn't able to see what she wanted saving from in the first place.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
That kernel of truth is still there, in what Niko said in her texts. Sure, there are some who like her around, but she can't believe anybody would do much more than shrug and move on with their life should she die. Not after who she's become, anyway.

Kurou at least is among those who prefers her to be around, she can see that. Which makes sense. They do have a very important commonality, after all. Niko treasures people like that, as well.

Even if it doesn't stop her from messing with them, obviously. But that's done now, as far as she's concerned. That's another thing singing is good for. In the form of a song, she can't help but be honest. Emotions and impulses just happen, while she 'belts it out'. Even if they're a bit more up to interpretation. How will Kurou interpret them? They wouldn't be here if she wasn't curious to find out.

A hand goes to her hip, as she not-so-patiently waits for him to get to the point. Justice, justice, what about it? The answer visibly surprises her. "...You think so, huh? So, what follows is that it would be the greatest injustice to be made to feel forced into being untrue to yourself. Right?"

Clearly she isn't just making conversation, saying that. But she doesn't feel the need to press the point beyond that, either. It should be understood well enough from just that. Certainly between the two of them.

...She does wish he would follow his thoughts a little quicker, though. She really wants to go 'what, what do you see?!' well before Kurou makes it to the end of his train of thought. Though, when he does... it's not hard to tell from her expression that it completely derailed her own. He took it back to the claw machines?? It takes several long moments, before...

"Heh heh... hahaha, wow..." Her laughter is soft, and not without fondness. It sure isn't at all among the places she'd expected this could go. What can she say but, "Oh Kurou-chan, you are truly... something else."

She returns to her seat, letting herself drop down in it again, before making a casual gesture. "I know that. Many people do. And yet, claw machines are so popular still. That element of random chance makes it interesting, doesn't it? If you just had to get good at it to guarantee success, would the reward still mean anything?" She chuckles. "Doesn't mean it's not frustrating as hell, though. You try, and you try, and no matter how well you do... it could take forever until you finally get anything to show for it."

This might not entirely be about claw machines anymore. Maybe it never was.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
<poem>
It is Kurou's own fault if he is particularly easy to mess with. And yet, even once he realizes it, he simply interprets it as having misunderstood something more important. If there is a deeper truth hidden in these types of things, perhaps he's not so wrong to think that way...

... Is a nice sentiment to have, but it means everyone still has to deal with Kurou being Kurou about everything either way.

The greatest injustice would be to be made to feel forced into being untrue to yourself.

"Yes," Kurou answers, without hesitation, even though it is a sentiment that requires no confirmation. But he must acknowledge it out loud, and clearly. Yes. It is.

If only his other thoughts were as quick to process and come out of his mouth for Niko's benefit. And then once he ''does'', he skips ahead several steps to claw machines, looking back at Niko like this is an entirely normal backtracking to do. Well, looking at Niko like he always does, actually. Which isn't entirely normal for its unchanging nature, when you get down to it.

Her laugh makes him straighten again. Oh. That's a different sound from the first time, and from other times, since...

He does not dislike it.

But what she says next surprises him, even if it does not show on that face of his. For random chance to make it interesting. Kurou looks down again. Slowly, he shakes his head as he struggles to swallow that thought.

"I'm... not so sure. The toys... they do not get to try. Again and again, the claw comes down. One finally gets taken... I don't think... it would feel like much a reward, to be chosen by chance."

They are almost certainly not talking about claw machines anymore.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
And it's Kurou who'll have to deal with the fallout of having ditched in the middle of class. Don't count on Niko to even apologize for that. She won't lie about being sorry she got to enjoy herself today. At least Kurou goes to Kasu, where there tends to be a lot of adult apathy and peer respect in regards to ditching. So maybe it'll be ok...?

Easy agreement is reached on the matter of Justice, a topic on which there could be much debate. There needs to be none here. With this, everything that needed to be said has been. That alone would be enough to form an ironclad bond over.

Even though Kurou seemed to be losing the plot again from there. He's not wrong to notice a change in Niko's laugh, though. This wasn't her usual exuberant laugh, which usually happens when she's laughing at him. Can't exactly say it's laughing with him either, it's not as if Kurou does any laughing. It must be something else. What that something might be...

Well, that's probably not going to come up today, in any sort of direct manner. Especially not when Kurou gets deeper into the matter of claw machines, in a way which, yes, that sure does seem to be about something else. Niko's voice may have a sympathetic tone, but she won't sugarcoat her response to that.

"Makes it easier, doesn't it? To believe there has to be a reason for everything? But that's not how things work in this world. Anything can happen, for any or for no reason. That's why the system feels so broken - because it is, on purpose. Even if you know why, that doesn't make it right."

She leans back in her chair, and stares up to the ceiling. "Y'know what's unfair? I'm actually banned from using the strength tester machine at that place, the punching bag thing? It asked me to give it all I got, so I did. And I broke it."

She lowers her gaze back down, shrugging. "Just goes to show that nobody likes it when you're ''too'' good, when you stand out too much. The tallest tree catches the most wind, as they say. That's why sometimes, it's best to hold back a little, act a little weaker than you really are. Strength scares people, but everybody likes to see the underdog succeed, right?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
<poem>
There are many rules in this world, but the rule above the rest, Kurou believes, is that the only true rule is that you can do anything you choose if you're prepared to submit to the consequences. Niko texted him, and Kurou knew he would make that trade.

And there are some things Kurou holds tight in his heart. Everything else... we have to wonder if he ever knew the plot in the first place.

Even claw machines. Or not claw machines. And the different things luck and random chance means when it comes to players and prizes. He looks up again as Niko affirms that everything, in the end, is subject to the whims of luck.

It is not something that he can refute, because she speaks the truth: a harsh and brutal one, softened only by her tone.

"... Mm. It is like you said before... To try and try again..." Even if it's true. Even if it's a game you might never win. "Even if... another toy might have... been better."

He lifts back up as Niko has more unfairness to complain about. His head falls into a perplexed tilt. He picks up the mike, looking it over.

"... If you did not sing like you did, because you thought it might scare me, because I am not as good at these things as you are..."

Kurou looks directly at Niko. "That is 'injustice'. I am glad you broke the machine, and I would be glad to see you break every machine of its kind."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
An absolute truth indeed, which unfortunately plays into the favor of those with the power to ignore the consequences they should be due. Being entirely consequence-free... that, Niko isn't so much on board with. For problems like that, there's always Revenge Request. It helps to keep things fair.

Yet the sad reality is that the deck remains firmly stacked against fairness. It wouldn't do to lose sight of that through the wish that it were different. As always, change can only come slowly... unless you can break whatever mechanism is keeping the system in place.

Don't think that Niko didn't consider giving that claw machine a kick. It's just that it ultimately wouldn't have helped her succeed, in any way that mattered. If there even was a way that mattered, in that instance.

"That's the biggest joke of all. Plenty of people don't even care about what the toy is. All they really want is the satisfaction of getting something to show for their perseverance. Something they can own, even if they have no idea what to do with it." She shakes her head, then expresses her wish it weren't so with the simple words, "One could say that the system works as intended... but that doesn't make it right for the system to exist."

Some measure of amusement returns to her features when Kurou moves to pick up the microphone. It's exasperating sometimes, never being able to tell what he's thinking. But it's also the best part, to never be able to predict what he'll come up with next. Just before she can ask what he's planning to do with that...

Those next words stop her own cold. Truly, she never can predict what he'll end up saying. She chuckles, instead, unable to keep meeting Kurou's gaze as hers drifts to the ground. "...Well. I'm glad that... someone would cheer for me, as I tear everything down."

It feels like he wrested control of the conversation away from her. How'd he manage that, so suddenly, so easily? Niko can't let him get away with that. If that's how it is, she'll just have to push her luck further still.

Her eyes fly back up, meeting Kurou's with renewed vigor, and a mischievous twinkle. "Hey, Kurou-chan. I know I kinda put you on the spot here. So, I'm not gonna make you sing, that'd defeat the purpose anyway. Though, I would like to meet again soon, just in general. So how about we schedule something in advance? About two weeks from now or something?"

She puts a hand on her chin as if pensive, but she's already fully realized, "That'd be right around Christmas, wouldn't it? In that case... you doing anything on Christmas Eve?"

Anyone else would likely suspect Implications there, but Kurou... she really does enjoy Kurou's lack of awareness way too much, doesn't she? She can't help it, it just makes her want to see how much she can get away with.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
<poem>
Unless you kick it at the right time to make the prize fall in your favor.

The biggest joke of all. Kurou blinks pointedly again, letting his mind chew on that thought. It didn't matter, as long as they got something to show for it.

"... I had not considered that perspective. Ah. And something like... not wanting to admit it isn't a good prize, after spending so much... But... being able to spend so much, that luck almost isn't a factor in the first place..."

There are layers to this horrible system, and the more he looks, the less he likes any of them. But how can you know how to break them if you do not know where and what they are?

But the microphone, and his words... Kurou's gaze is unrelenting, even as Niko's shies away.

"I would cheer. And I would help you."

Breaking the machine might be Niko's own strength, but in any other way she would tear it down, Kurou would not wish to merely stand back and watch. He has his own 'self' he will not make smaller, strange as that self may have become.

He does not realize the conversation is a battle, and that Niko seeks her own retribution.

"The problem is I do not know many songs... The lyrics may be provided, but the melody has to be known in advance."

If he had known, perhaps he could have trained for this. Perhaps he should listen to more music to memorize, just in case...? Niko has different mischief in mind. And Kurou's head falls into another tilt.

Two weeks. His face is utterly blank with obliviousness as Niko becomes pensive for dramatic effect, and then there is the slightest sharpening of his alertness when she reminds him that would be ''Christmas Eve''.

Does he get it? The implication? What this holiday and such inventions seem to mean...?

Kurou brings his fingers to his lips.

"... Strawberry..."

... No, he's just remembering the incoming seasonal cakes!

He shakes his head to snap himself out of it. "I have nothing planned. I will make the day available for you."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
If she were fully honest, Niko would have to admit that even she isn't fully sure anymore what that conversation ended up being about. Yet, there is a level on which understanding happens, all the same. Isn't that what truly matters, in the end? Kurou may not notice everything, but it feels to her like he notices the most important things.

Maybe not ALL of the important things. But that too may not be a bad thing. As long as she is supported, even assisted, in what needs to be done, she could hardly justify complaining.

That it was said so directly and in no uncertain terms, that's a little embarrassing. But even if she may need to retreat a little for it now, she won't lose in the end.

"It's fine, it's fine," she insists on the matter of song. "If you're gonna sing at any point, I'd want it to be meaningful. Skill aside, anyone can imitate a song. It only means something if you can use a song to tell a story, something that's important to you." Maybe not everyone would agree, but, "That's what I think."

Who knows what the future will bring? Maybe Kurou will surprise her one day. Quite unlike his reaction to her words to follow, which she was fully expecting. She can tell, she can just tell, that whatever he's thinking about in relation to Christmas Eve could never be what most people would land on.

And then he says the word 'strawberry'. "Wh--" She was just thinking about strawberry cake. Did he read her mind somehow? Or does he... does he actually think--

Niko's expression never quite makes it to dread before Kurou responds, in a way that... doesn't make her entirely sure what to think. But, as she mentally reminds herself, this is Kurou. There's no way she could ever match his thoughts if she tried. Her mental track doesn't recover instantly, but quickly enough for a proper response, at least.

"...Oh, that's, that's good! Great, even, yeah! Then, I'll be looking forward to it!"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
<poem>
Kurou is a shinobi, and perhaps even in conversation, is difficult to catch while striking straight to the heart of certain aspects. ... Or that's a fun metaphor, but it could really all just be a fluke the way he struggles through conversation in his own way. He doesn't even realize it. It feels like they've discussed something important.

"A meaningful song..." Kurou echoes as he reflects on the thought. "I see. I do not have one like that." He recognizes, at least, that such a thing cannot be ''forced''. Even if he listened to songs with the intent of finding meaning it can obscure meaningfulness.

"If I find one someday, I will sing it to you."

He assuredly does not mean it to be a threat, but given the circumstances, it might, unfortunately, fall into the category regardless of his intent. Well, maybe it's fine. Maybe of all people, Niko could still be entertained even if disaster should result.

It's not a guarantee it would, anyway.

Strawberry, plucked right from Niko's thoughts --

Or just. His own associations with the season. He must have had one as a child, but he can't remember the taste. But he's seen them in the windows. Fluffy, strawberry cake...

"Then, we'll meet again, two weeks from now."

'Two weeks' and not 'Christmas Eve', because it is only coincidentally Christmas Eve, right? He looks back at the microphone, and offers it forward.

"Did you want to sing more? Or if you still want a Jack Frost doll, there are tricks to it..."

All of the tricks are illegal.

Such is often the case when the system is rigged.

</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 2]]

Julian Marlowe

2026-07-20T18:03:37Z

Fureasei:

{| class="toccolours" style="width: 15%; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="background:#DEAD17; border: 2px #000000 solid; font size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Julian Marlowe'''
|-
! colspan="2" align="center" | [[File:Julian_Marlowe.png|300px]]
|-
! style="background:#DEAD17; border: 2px #000000 solid; font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''IC Information'''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Full Name:
| Julian Marlowe
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Arcana:
| {{Arcana|Fortune}}
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Gender:
| Male
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Age (Birthdate):
| {{ICAge|1984|10|15}} (October 15, 1984)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Hair Colour:
| Straw Blonde
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Eye Colour:
| Steel Blue
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Height:
| 6'0" / 183 cm
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Residence:
| Tomigaya district, Shibuya, Tokyo
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Workplace:
| Kasugayama High School
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Job:
| English Teacher / Guidance Counselor
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Role:
| Focus
|-
! style="background:#DEAD17; border: 2px #000000 solid; font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''OOC Information'''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Source:
| Persona 5 (OC)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Voice Actor:
| Kazuhiko Inoue / Troy Baker
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Groups:
| None
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Player:
| [[User:Fureasei|Fureasei]]
|-
|}

'''"I'd much rather be a meddler than ignore those who could benefit from a little meddling."'''

Julian Marlowe is Kasugayama High's new English teacher and guidance counselor, a young man from Britain with the impeccable manners one would expect from a self-styled Gentleman. Yet below his calm, somewhat quirky exterior beats a passionate heart that genuinely wishes nothing but the very best for his students, and the will to bring it out of them through whatever means necessary. Seeking to bury a turbulent past that cost him everything, his new life in Japan also ended up including a different sort of adventure: answering the Will of Rebellion and taking on the alternate identity of Vesper, the jovial and over-eager Supernatural Investigator with a flair for the dramatic.

= Background =
Julian is a recent immigrant from London, arriving in Tokyo in early 2012. Though he may not quite know all the ins and outs of Japanese culture, his mastery over the Japanese language and knowledge of the local customs is striking - suggesting he didn't travel there on a whim. He lives alone in a very nice apartment in the Tomigaya district of Shibuya, which suggests he's been doing rather well for himself.

But at present, aside from the impressive credentials that effortlessly got him the position at Kasugayama High, no one really knows much of anything about what his life in his home country was like. Julian doesn't tend to talk much about himself in general, but where it comes to his past before 2012, he's been exceptionally tight-lipped.

==Season 1, Episode 1==
In progress!

= Persona =
'''Raffles''': A humanoid-shaped figure wearing a fashionable dark trench coat over a white cricket jersey bearing the number 17 in red, carrying a diamond-tipped walking cane in the left hand and a cricket bat in the right. His right side limbs are notably inhuman, made up out of a mass of dark tendrils - wrapped around the bat, in the case of the right 'hand'. His face is covered by an iron face guard styled halfway between that of a cricket catcher and a Man In The Iron Mask-style prisoner's helmet, only leaving openings for the eyes and mouth, through which a bright yellow light shines.

Based on the character A.J. Raffles from the novels written by E.W. Hornung, this self-described 'Amateur Cracksman' mingled in high society as the very picture of a British gentleman, admired for his skill at cricket. By night, he would use his mastery of disguise and proficiency at constructing makeshift burglary tools to steal from those he considered undeserving of their riches.

= Special Skills =

Though he has his area of expertise in counseling, Julian has an uncommonly wide range of knowledge and experiences, and is very quick to adapt and improvise based on the circumstances. If there is a limit to his patience, or any way to provoke him into rudeness, it has yet to be discovered.

His Approaches are as follows:
* '''Counsel''' - It's right there in the job description! Julian always has a well-meaning word of advice to give, employing his Understanding of people and situations to steer a situation towards a positive outcome.
* '''Inspire''' - Though perfectly aware of his natural Charm and how that could be used as an asset, generally speaking, there's nothing disingenuous about Julian's words of flattery and encouragement. He's simply helping to boost confidence and bring out the best in others.
* '''Swagger''' - When all else fails, and you have no idea what you should be doing, fake it 'til you make it. Julian is Gutsy enough to try and bluff his way through situations with nothing but false bravado.

=Relationships=

(I'm historically very bad at keeping up with these, we'll see if I manage!)

===Notable NPCs===
* '''Tomoyo Harayama''' ({{Arcana|Star}}) - A second year at Kasugayama High school. Julian's staunchest supporter, putting up with any and all teacher's pet allegations to defend him as a well-meaning individual who really cares about his students. Quiet and withdrawn until a few weeks after Julian arrived, now unafraid to freely speak her mind and stand up for herself. Is this the power of counseling...?

* '''Kotoha Shiranui''' ({{Arcana|Justice}}) - A third year at Kasugayama High school. Having never allied herself with a Boss, she was known to be a lone wolf with a vicious temper and the muscle to back it up. Yet when returning to school after summer vacation in 2012, she started to effectively act as self-appointed Hall Monitor from Hell, while referring to Julian as 'Boss'. Just what is Julian doing to the students...?

= Soundtrack =

<ul>
<li>Main Theme (Julian) - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWYG7lZBc6U Mumford & Sons - After the Storm]</li>

<li>Main Theme (Vesper) - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAXm2FcEUBw The Scarlet Pimpernel (musical) - The Riddle]</li>
</ul>

= Logs and Cutscenes =

==Season 1==

<div style="column-count: 3;">
{{#dpl:
|category = logs&season 1
|linksto = {{PAGENAME}}
|ordermethod = title
|columns = 3
|rowcolformat=width=50%
|suppresserrors = yes
| addcategories = true
| mode = userformat
| format = ,,\n* [[%PAGE%]],
|noresultsheader=There are no logs on this wiki that {{PAGENAME}} participated in.
}}
</div>

{{#dpl:
|category = cutscenes&season 1
|linksto = {{PAGENAME}}
|ordermethod = title
|columns = 3
|rowcolformat=width=50%
|suppresserrors = yes
| addcategories = true
| mode = userformat
| format = ,,\n* [[%PAGE%]],
|noresultsheader=
}}

[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Kasugayama High School]]
[[Category:Focus]]

Niko Kirisaki

2026-07-20T18:01:58Z

Fureasei:

{| class="toccolours" style="width: 15%; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="background:#000000; border: 2px #FF69B4 solid; font size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Niko Kirisaki'''
|-
! colspan="2" align="center" | [[File:Niko_Kirisaki.png|300px]]
|-
! style="background:#000000; border: 2px #FF69B4 solid; font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''IC Information'''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Full Name:
| Niko Kirisaki (霧崎仁子)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Arcana:
| {{Arcana|Moon}}
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Gender:
| Female
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Age (Birthdate):
| {{ICAge|1996|02|27}} (February 27, 1996)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Hair Colour:
| Hot Pink (dyed)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Eye Colour:
| Sea Green
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Height:
| 5'6" / 168 cm
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Residence:
| Tatsumi Port Island
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Workplace:
| Variable
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Job:
| Self-Employed
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Role:
| Nemesis
|-
! style="background:#000000; border: 2px #FF69B4 solid; font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''OOC Information'''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Source:
| Persona 3 (OC)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Voice Actor:
| Mariya Ise / Sarah Williams
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Groups:
| [[Strega]]
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Player:
| [[User:Fureasei|Fureasei]]
|-
|}

'''"What's wrong with having a little fun? You should join in!"'''

With the fashion style of a street punk, the body of a professional athlete, and a disarmingly cheerful and carefree disposition, Niko Kirisaki is a creature of contradiction. Which only gets worse once you get to know her, and come to realize her friendly attitude and playful teasing can devolve into scathing rebukes and savage beatings with little provocation, all delivered with that same sunny smile. Harrowing childhood experiments that forcibly awakened her as an Artificial Persona User are to blame for both the strengthening of her physique and the fracturing of her psyche, to the point of loosening her grip on reality. Though still largely dissociated, she's managed to regain a fragile sense of belonging in hooking up with Strega, and is all too eager to lend them some extra muscle whenever needed.

= Background =

This life subsists on fading breath 
Acceptance is akin to death 
Reflections cast show naught but lies 
Behind the mirror I'll find my prize

==Season 1, Episode 1==
In progress!

= Persona =
'''Ate''': A dark blue-tinted spectral entity which appears to consist of only a giant head in its resting state. Its feminine, unmarred, statue-like face is frozen in a blank expression, with naught but empty hollows where eyes should be. Its hair, impossibly long, writhes and flutters like a living shadow, mimicking the appearance of a phantasmal cloak.

The Greek mythological personification of moral blindness, Ate (pronounced ah-tay) inspires delusion, recklessness, folly and ruin. Originally an agent of Zeus's divine retribution, she was blamed for blinding him to the treachery of Hera and cast down from Olympus.

= Special Skills =

Niko's most special skill is being so disarmingly friendly and cheerful most of the time that you may entirely forget about the fact that she is built like a freight train and almost certainly could - and may suddenly decide to - kick your ass.

Her Approaches are as follows:
* '''Crazy Talk''' - You need suggestions? Niko has all kinds of suggestions. Niko cannot guarantee that they are good suggestions, or even have anything to do with the problem at hand.
* '''Just Smash It''' - Except this suggestion, this one is ''always'' good and helpful. Niko will be happy to follow through on it, too!
* '''Happy-Go-Lucky''' - Niko doesn't appear to have a care in the world - whatever else you may think of her, it's hard to deny that her cheery attitude can be quite infectious.

=Relationships=

You speak, yet meaning slips away 
All is lost in the endless gray 
Venture not into this blur 
Lest it swallow all you were

= Soundtrack =

<ul>
<li>Main Theme - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEsbEvj0JeU Neo: The World Ends With You OST - Unpainted]</li>

<li>Strega Battle Theme (Niko ver.) - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdY8dES2ug4 Persona 3 - Unavoidable Battle (Metal Cover)]</li>
</ul>

= Logs and Cutscenes =

==Season 1==

===Logs===

<div style="column-count: 3;">
{{#dpl:
|category = logs&season 1
|linksto = {{PAGENAME}}
|ordermethod = title
|columns = 3
|rowcolformat=width=50%
|suppresserrors = yes
| addcategories = true
| mode = userformat
| format = ,,\n* [[%PAGE%]],
|noresultsheader=There are no logs on this wiki that {{PAGENAME}} participated in.
}}
</div>

===Cutscenes===

{{#dpl:
|category = cutscenes&season 1
|linksto = {{PAGENAME}}
|ordermethod = title
|columns = 3
|rowcolformat=width=50%
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| addcategories = true
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[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Strega]]
[[Category:Nemesis]]

2026-07-10: A Joka's Vengeance

2026-07-13T19:59:16Z

Fureasei: Created page with "*'''Log: A Joka's Vengeance''' *'''Cast:''' Leon Saito, Ririka Kawase, Ichika Kawase, Niko Kirisaki, Misato Fushihara, Hyousuke Suzuki, Jin Shirato *'''Where:''' Seven Sisters High School - Clocktower *'''OOC Date:''' July 10, 2026 *'''IC Date:''' December 07, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''A rampaging Joka is on the loose, cutting down all those who wronged him in the past. It will take a bunch of heroes and maybe some villains to stop the Joka and m..."

*'''Log: A Joka's Vengeance'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Leon Saito]], [[Ririka Kawase]], [[Ichika Kawase]], [[Niko Kirisaki]], [[Misato Fushihara]], [[Hyousuke Suzuki]], [[Jin Shirato]]
*'''Where:''' Seven Sisters High School - Clocktower
*'''OOC Date:''' July 10, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' December 07, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''A rampaging Joka is on the loose, cutting down all those who wronged him in the past. It will take a bunch of heroes and maybe some villains to stop the Joka and make sure they don't fall into the dastardly hands of the NWO. Who is this Joka who would do such Joka-like things?''

----

(|================== Seven Sisters High School - Clocktower ==================|)
-=============================================== Sumaru City/Rengedai Ward ====-
Normally off limits to students, the clocktower at Seven Sisters High School is
accessible off a stairwell that leads to a limited fourth floor. The door that
leads to the clocktower itself is kept locked, and only school staff have copies
of the key.

The gears are enormous--big enough to fight on, if one were an absurd enough
human being to want to do that--and are accessible via two railed accessways,
one next to the gears, one overlooking them. The clock face overlooks the school
grounds, visible as one approaches the main building.

AS: Leon Saito has readied for combat as Demon Blade Smith: Joker! He is now fully healed! Ready for 7 opponents!

<Pose Tracker> Leon Saito has posed.
<poem>
A week had roughly passed since that day in the alley, a week since Leon had been taken over for his desire of revenge and cut down that first Seven student leaving them for dead. Since then Leon had taken the scenic route to Seven Sisters High School, dragging his own supernatural pocket with him, and guided by his supernatural co-pilot, the Demon Blade Smith: Joker. A persona like incarnation, that has slowly grown more monstrous than when it first manifested.

Originally the Joker incarnation had looked almost like an Edo period swordsmith, wearing a joker mask, but it was mutated and continued to mutate as skeletal-like arms had grown from it's back and more were continuing to grow. By now this thing had almost twenty arms growing from it's back, longer and longer. In a few hands were black smithing tools, tongs, hammers, etc, in others were unfinished swords of different variety. One of the swords even looks like the one that a certain paper bag killer use to wear.

The duo had made it's way to Seven high school, but had arrived a bit too late. Most of the students had gone home by now but that didn't mean that the poor Sevens student who had stayed late at the library to study for upcoming finals didn't bump into Leon and was now having to deal with a giant sword slash across their chest.

Perhaps it was fate, perhaps the Joker persona knew a few things from a previous incarnation, or perhaps it was just a dumb coincidence, but Leon had made his way through the high school and had found his way to the clocktower. He was simply going to wait here for now and would have his vengeance come morning tomorrow. That is unless some heroes stop him.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka should be resting. And she's tried! Honest she has. But some things are too important to ignore, and Ririka feels too guilty if she doesn't take action when she could.

And the rise of another Joka... lots of people could potentially get hurt. She's rushing to Sevens, and as soon as she feels the tug of the supernatural--and that utterly rancid Resonance--she ducks into cover and dives into her bag for her Evoker. "Amphion!"

Monents later the stone man is strumming as Ririka listens. Someone's injured, several Persona users around, and--

''There''. The clocktower.

She leaves a trail of music for the Awakened to follow, and book it for the clocktower. "Saito-san..." she gasps. "So you..." She was worried about Leon--she hadn't realized she needed to be ''this'' worried. "Don't worry--we can help you."

She points and shouts, "Amphion! Analysis!" Amphion strmstrums his lyre, and Ririka clutches her headphones to listen to what comes back.
</poem>

AS: Persona! Ririka Kawase has used the Almighty skill Full Analysis on Leon Saito!
| Insight: Ririka Kawase gains 1 Limit!

AS: Take! Leon Saito takes 0 Almighty damage from Ririka Kawase's Full Analysis.
AS: Ririka Kawase's Strength Scan! Leon Saito resists Strike, Fire, and Light!
AS: Ririka Kawase's Weakness Scan! Leon Saito is weak against Slash, Water, and Dark!
AS: Ririka Kawase's Support Scan! Leon Saito has passive skills Apt Pupil, Auto-Rebellion, Break Limit, Light Amp, Mind
Shield, Peerless Skill, and Sharp Student!

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ichika Kawase wouldn't usually be going to Seven Sisters High School at all. She has bad memories of this place, and it has bad memories of her. But, Newspaper to Newspaper, there's some things she wants to know from their club...

So here she came. At least, that was the plan, but it may have to wait for another day, because Ichika feels the awful ''heartbeat'' of Resonance--of the Joker Curse. Narrowing her eyes as she steps up, Ichika darts around the corner from the bike racks.

Ogre thus walks the street of Seven Sisters High, a girl with a cracked, horned oni mask and a set of modern riot armor over samurai-style clothing. Her high-tech shoes make little noise as she sneaks through the halls, evading the demons drawn by the Joker's aura.

"HEY FUCKER!" Ogre calls as she reaches the clocktower, "Eyes over here!"

She doesn't know this guy--but she knows the solution to the Joker Curse. ...And she knows they won't have a chance to even ''try'' if they don't get to the fighting.

As she does, Ogre rips off her own mask, and the blood and fire that sprays as a result gives rise to Momiji, her Persona. The kimono-clad Oni brings out her clawed hand, and suddenly, a brace of great stones ''rocket'' down for the Joker!
</poem>

AS: Persona! Ichika Kawase has used the Earth skill Sequence Magna on Leon Saito! 2 Hits!

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Shame about those people getting slashed up in an alley a while back, and again in school today. Yup. Real shame. Anyway!

It sure was a funny coincidence that someone on Strega's radar suddenly went ''off'' the radar right as that whole mess began. It wasn't difficult to do the math, even if the exact reasons behind it weren't entirely clear. But there was that whole sense of supernatural strangeness surrounding Leon, first noticed by Takaya. Something interesting had most definitely occured, something worth getting to the bottom of. It took a bit of tracking, but finally...

"Wow, I didn't think you were cursed like THAT, go figure!"

Niko's voice is just suddenly there, and right beside her is another familiar face of Strega. They must have employed their usual trickery, just popping out of nowhere like that with no Resonance warning or anything. As for Niko, she follows up her words with a hand going to her mouth. "Oh, or, don't tell me! Did it come true? Did your curse attract another curse??"

Even so, this is a great opportunity, by her reckoning. She is VERY interested in this Joka-affliction. It's a bit like the Joker Killer's legacy, a promise of something greater, perhaps. Not that she will handle this any different than she handles most dangerous situations. Straight on. "Alright you, hold still. Promise we'll take real good care of you~"

So saying, Niko swings her chain towards those many arms of the Joker Persona. No way she's going to be able to get the weapon around all of them, but she'll do her best to restrict as many as she can.
</poem>

AS: Weapon! Niko Kirisaki has used the Strike skill Ensnaring Embrace on Leon Saito!
| Ruin: Niko Kirisaki gains 1 Limit!

<Pose Tracker> Misato Fushihara has posed.
<poem>Exams are coming up. Misato... finds it hard to get motivated for them. But if her grades drop even lower she might start having trouble, so even if it sucks, she forces herself to the library after school to study. At the very least, it's an excuse to stick around the school for just a little longer.

But just as she feels her attention span begin to fray and her mind beginning to wander... she feels ''it''. That horrible, stomach-twisting feeling that snaps her right back to reality.

Something's happening. Something - some''one''? - is here, will ill intent. Misato snaps her book shut, stows it into her bag, and races out of the library. She pauses in her tracks as she sees the unconscious form outside the library doors, a sword-wound across their chest.

She pauses, inhales, does a mental countdown...

and then ''shrieks''.

It's performative, to draw attention to the injured student. She can't remember the last time felt more than a lurch to her stomach at a sight like this. The thought that she doesn't feel it is more upsetting than the scene itself.

"S-someone's been attacked...! Quick, someone, get some help...!" Misato calls out. She makes a show of fumbling for her phone and dials for an ambulance before racing off of.

And so, while Misato Fushihara is seen running off to try and find help...

...Magus emerges from a different hallway, her hooded cloak coalescing about her form and the porcelain half-mask settling over the top half of her face.

Someone's been hurt at ''her'' school again... With a grimace, she picks up speed. She needs to find the one responsible for this - fortunately, that sickening feeling helps act as a beacon.

She just needs to follow the sensation of building dread. Perfectly reasonable.

It leads her, then, to the clocktower - where Leon is waiting. Others, it seems, have gotten here before her.

She doesn't need to guess which one is responsible. One look at that twisted Persona is all it takes. Her eyes lock onto Leon.

"...You. Were you the one responsible?" Magus asks, before looking toward Ririka. "...You know him?"

And not just her, it seems. She doesn't need to guess who's on what side, at least.

"I'm butting in." Magus announces - and then races forward toward Leon, drawing a lightly-curved saber and parrying dagger from her cloak. She brings them both down toward him in an X-shaped arc.
</poem>

AS: Weapon! Misato Fushihara has used the Slash skill Overpower on Leon Saito! 2 Hits!
| Pressure: Misato Fushihara gains 1 Limit!

AS: Block Best! Leon Saito takes 37 Earth damage from Ichika Kawase's Sequence Magna. Critical Hit!
| Bind (Magic and Avoid Penalized!) added!

AS: Block Best! Leon Saito takes 27 Earth damage from Ichika Kawase's Sequence Magna.

<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>Something caused Hyousuke to sit bolt upright, his head tilted up like a hound catching a scent. It was an awful, rancid, feeling - like the very pit of his stomach had started trying to claw its way out through his throat, and a fetid taste infested his mouth. It was sickening, yes, but worse - it was familiar. His lips, once tightened as if to try and hold back a surge of bile, curled into a snarl, while his fists tightened at his sides until the knuckles turned a ghostly shade of white.

"Another one...!" He growled, speaking quietly to himself, before practically launching himself from his seat. Was he close enough to make it? Did he have time to grab his armour before launching into the fray, or would his uniform have to suffice? And what of the prey he'd been looking into, before something so rudely interrupted him? A million thoughts like those stormed demanded his attention at once, but one thing rang clear above the cacophony in his mind - he had to get there. Whatever was happening, it was up to him to stop it.

The pain of healing wounds and the burning of strained lungs were ignored as Hyousuke stormed into Sevens territory. It was not the kind of place he would normally be caught dead in, and he was fairly certain that the pupils there would not normally let someone as rough-looking as him within a mile of the establishment. But those few still on the premises would have to just swallow their pride and let him - a student quite clearly from Kasugayama, given the uniform slung so haphazardly over his frame - work.

The disgust was what led him there, but it was Ririka's music that pinpointed the location. Like a man possessed, he stormed upwards, surging into the clocktower without stopping. Even as he reached the fight itself, he only barely managed to restrain himself from launching into an all-out assault on Leon, instead looking to Ririka and Ogre like a hunting hound waiting for the signal to snap its jaws around its quarry. Their own attacks, he supposed, constituted a good enough one for him.
"Ogre! Kawase-san!" He called out, rushing to the fore without a moment's hesitation. "What's the plan?"

Hyousuke wasn't idle while he awaited an answer, however.
"ACHILLES!" He bellowed, calling forth the general of myth from his slumber. A great mass of bronze armour, dented and scraped from battle, hauled himself from his back, creaking and clanking under the weight of his own wargear. Two piercing, glowering, lights of red gleamed in the black expanse behind his helmet, and he raised both spear and shield in readiness. "Let's keep this asshole busy!" Hyousuke bolted forwards, seeking to close the gap, but it was Achilles that struck first. His sword flashed out in tight and focussed slash, aimed to sever what limbs Niko kept still enough to strike.

Her presence didn't go unnoticed, and drew a snarling glance from Hyousuke as he dared to tear his focus from the enemy for the briefest of moments.
"The hell are you doing he-" He cut himself off, then turned back to face the enemy. "Forget it, questions later. Just don't stab me in the back. We got bigger problems."
</poem>

AS: Persona! Hyousuke Suzuki has used the Slash skill Limbsever on Leon Saito!

<Pose Tracker> Jin Shirato has posed.
<poem>
Jin doesn't know what the hell is going on, but if someone's gonna try to play at being some kinda Joker copycat, he wants to get to the bottom of it.

And unfortunately, his contacts didn't know anything, either. So that meant some on-the-ground work (sigh) away from the computer.

Whatever this thing is, Jin isn't sure he'll get any answers out of it. But if there's a chance, maybe he can beat some answers out of it.

"Good work," Jin says to Niko -- a rare compliment. He pulls the pin from his grenades and follows up Niko's attack with one of his own.
</poem>

AS: Weapon! Jin Shirato has used the Pierce skill Error 429: Too Many Requests on Leon Saito! 2 Hits!
AS: Block Neutral! Leon Saito takes 56 Strike damage from Niko Kirisaki's Ensnaring Embrace. Critical Hit! Resist!
| Bind (Magic and Avoid Penalized!) added!

AS: Block Best! Leon Saito takes 53 Slash damage from Misato Fushihara's Overpower. Critical Hit! Weak!
AS: Block Neutral! Leon Saito takes 51 Slash damage from Misato Fushihara's Overpower. Weak!
AS: Avoid Worst! Leon Saito takes 180 Slash damage from Hyousuke Suzuki's Limbsever. Critical Hit! Weak!
| Atk_Dn (Damage down!) added!

AS: Avoid Worst! Leon Saito takes 57 Pierce damage from Jin Shirato's Error 429: Too Many Requests.
AS: Avoid Best! Leon Saito takes 17 Pierce damage from Jin Shirato's Error 429: Too Many Requests.

<Pose Tracker> Leon Saito has posed.
<poem>
Leon's head swivels at his name, Leon's face having lost most of it's features, shadows where the eyes should be, the nose barely standing out, and the normally pale skin, bleach white. the only other real feature is that the giant grin on the face. " Oh it is so nice of you to be concerned but everything is going to be ok. I have it all handled." Leon giggles as if he just made an inside joke.

Leon doesn't get to say much more as Ichika draws his attention and an Oni is throwing rocks at him. The joker covers itself with all it's arms but the rock throws him off balance and the Joker grabs Leon to steady itself, unsettling the kid too. Leon stumbles but looks at Ichika with his eyes blinded by the curse, "Sorry I only have eyes for my true goal."

A sword is raised, but the arms are constrained by Niko's sudden appearance. Leon turns and chuckles, " This is the trial Niko-chan. The one I must succeed at, and then I will be free of it all."

A lightsaber of energy cleaves through a few of the skeletal arms of the joker as it does it's best to shield it self.

The sword of Achilles continuing to chop through the arms as the attempt to sever limbs, does indeed sever a few more.

Leon though recognizes the grenade and stumbles back, "A grenade?! Seriously? " It appears that somewhere in the back of all this the cowardly nature of Leon still exists as the grenade goes off and shrapnel cuts his skin.

Still the moment of insecurity is brief as the giggling curse takes over. "Don't you all get it. I am the hero! I must remove the wicked that plagues us." A charming smile, an aura of heroism, maybe Leon has a point. Maybe it is just a moment of distraction before the Joker charges back in. The Joker persona charges in stabbing first at Achilles with one of the many swords. The persona then follows it up by launching a sword in the air, as beams of lights begin to fall and rain down upon Jin ,Ichika, Ririka. The persona turns though and looks at Niko, the Joker smiling before raising one of the many hands that glows with light magic, launching it as a beam intending to pierce Niko. Then Leon and the Joker fall on Misato, "I wasn't expecting one of the evil doers to come to me, at this hour, but I am a hero that does not rest." An arm is raised as it slashes a sword down toward Misato trying to remove the evil of the seven school.
</poem>

AS: Weapon! Leon Saito has used the Pierce skill Sword of Justice - Stab at Thee on Hyousuke Suzuki!
| Pressure: Leon Saito gains 1 Limit!

AS: Persona! Leon Saito has used the Light skill Rain of Justice on Jin Shirato! 3 Hits!
AS: Persona! Leon Saito has used the Light skill Rain of Justice on Ichika Kawase! 3 Hits!
AS: Persona! Leon Saito has used the Light skill Heroic Light on Niko Kirisaki! 2 Hits!
AS: Tandem! Leon Saito has used the Light skill Sword of Justice - Begone Evil! on Misato Fushihara!
AS: Persona! Leon Saito has used the Light skill Rain of Justice on Ririka Kawase! 3 Hits!
AS: Block Best! Ichika Kawase takes 8 Light damage from Leon Saito's Rain of Justice. Critical Hit!
AS: Block Worst! Ichika Kawase takes 39 Light damage from Leon Saito's Rain of Justice. Critical Hit!
AS: Avoid Best! Misato Fushihara takes 16 Light damage from Leon Saito's Sword of Justice - Begone Evil!.
AS: Block Worst! Ichika Kawase takes 21 Light damage from Leon Saito's Rain of Justice.
AS: Avoid Neutral! Jin Shirato takes 26 Light damage from Leon Saito's Rain of Justice. Critical Hit!
AS: Block Best! Ririka Kawase takes 9 Light damage from Leon Saito's Rain of Justice. Critical Hit!
AS: Block Neutral! Ririka Kawase takes 24 Light damage from Leon Saito's Rain of Justice. Critical Hit!
AS: Block Worst! Ririka Kawase takes 25 Light damage from Leon Saito's Rain of Justice.
AS: Avoid Best! Jin Shirato takes 6 Light damage from Leon Saito's Rain of Justice.
AS: Avoid Best! Jin Shirato takes 10 Light damage from Leon Saito's Rain of Justice. Critical Hit!
AS: Block Best! Niko Kirisaki takes 18 Light damage from Leon Saito's Heroic Light. Critical Hit!
AS: You have 1 more attack in queue!
AS: Block Neutral! Niko Kirisaki takes 29 Light damage from Leon Saito's Heroic Light.
AS: Avoid Best! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 11 Pierce damage from Leon Saito's Sword of Justice - Stab at Thee.

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka's still in her Gekkoukan uniform--she hadn't dared waste time changing, trying to get to Sevens as quick as possible. She glances over at the brace of rocks. "Ogre! Glad to see you here." Does Ogre go to Sevens? She's not gonna question it.

But she startles as she hears Niko's voice, gritting her teeth as she looks at the Strega member."Oh. It's you guys. What do you guys want, Kirisaki?"

She looks at Magus as she enters. Ririka doesn't know her, but she gives the other Persona User a nod. "Yes, I know him. If someone's hurt, it was probably him... and they'll probably need an ambulance. I'm sorry."

"Suzuki-san! We need to subdue him and get him to the Velvet Room! I'll back you up. His name is Leon Saito, he's-- he's a student at Gekkokan. We need to help him."

There's a frown as she sees the other Strega member, too. "So you're here too, huh? Great. Planning another attack on a school?"

But, habits--and ot of Tartarus runs--die hard, and Ririka can't bring herself not to announce the results of her Analysis to everyone. "He's resistant to... striking attacks, and fire and light magic. You should use... slashing attacks, water, or dark attacks." To herself she says, "... good thing I got that skill card..."

But Leon says he has it under control, and Ririka winces. "I don't know what you think this is solving, Saito-san, but... we can help you find a better way, okay? Why don't we talk it out?"

She knows that ''probably'' won't work, but... she has to try to reach him.

But a rain of lights come down, and Ririka's gotten her Katana out now, and she parries the first one, but the second and third hit, causing gouts of blue flame to lance across her body. "Guh-- Careful-- we don't know what tricks he has up his sleeve."

She slowly stands upright again, shaking herself off. "Okay. Here goes. Amphion! Help prepare us for what's coming next! Lithomancy!" Amphion raises a hand, and a little bit of power flows into Ogre, Hyousuke, Magus, and Ririka. Echos of potentiality, possible outcomes, and moments-away forewarnings settle on them to help them weather the storm of attacks.

And thn Ririka gestures again at Leon. "Put him off-balance with a Dissonant song!" Amphion strums, and a cascade of sharp, ugly, out-of-tune notes descends on the new Joka.
</poem>

AS: Ririka Kawase spends Limit on Exploit! Ririka Kawase can use another Weak skill this round!
AS: Persona! Ririka Kawase has used the Almighty skill Lithomancy on Ririka Kawase, Ichika Kawase, Hyousuke Suzuki, and
Misato Fushihara!
| Ririka Kawase takes 45 damage from Stress!
| Insight: Ririka Kawase gains 1 Limit!

AS: Take! Ririka Kawase takes 0 Almighty damage from Ririka Kawase's Lithomancy.
| Prophecy (Healing in 2 rounds!) added!

AS: Persona! Ririka Kawase has used the Almighty skill Dissonant Song on Leon Saito!
AS: Take! Misato Fushihara takes 0 Almighty damage from Ririka Kawase's Lithomancy.
| Prophecy (Healing in 2 rounds!) added!

AS: Take! Ichika Kawase takes 0 Almighty damage from Ririka Kawase's Lithomancy.
| Prophecy (Healing in 2 rounds!) added!

AS: Take! Leon Saito takes 0 Almighty damage from Ririka Kawase's Dissonant Song.
| Crt_Up removed!

AS: Take! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 0 Almighty damage from Ririka Kawase's Lithomancy.
| Prophecy (Healing in 2 rounds!) added!

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Niko's here--and Niko knows this Joker. "You?" Ogre starts, defensive--but it becomes clear they seem to be on the same side for the moment. "Yeah, that's what happened," Ogre tells Niko. "People who used the Joker Curse turn into Jokers now. It's dangerous as shit."

Magus is here. And 'the one responsible'? "What'd he do?" she wonders, unaware of the connection, since she came from the other entrance. And Hyousuke is here, too. They're all fighting, at least.

"My plan is we subdue him!" Ogre calls to Hyousuke, and then nods to Ririka. She can't tell her who she is even now--but, it's not so bad to work with Ririka, either.

"...What goal's that?" she answers Leon. But he answers well enough. He's a 'hero'...

"Evildoers? Hero?" she asks. "What the hell?"

The light crashes down towards her. Ogre suddenly holds a shield, which she lifts up against the spears of light. They crash into its golden surface hard enough to jar her arms, but she's intact by the end of it.

"Kawase-san," Ogre says. "As long as they actually help, I think we need to rely on these guys. I can't take this guy alone." Then she sees Ririka actually use a ''katana''. She stares a moment.

"Uh, right, anyway--" Power flows into her, and some flows right back out as Ogre summons back Momiji. "The power of FUCK OFF!"

Hyousuke, Magus--and even Niko and Jin--will feel the tangled mass of thorned vines spread around them and disappear into a spectral invisibility, granting them more defense against physical attacks, a vibration of great might.

"Rule one: survive. Rule two: save this guy if we can. Got it?" she looks to Hyousuke in particular.
</poem>

AS: Persona! Ichika Kawase has used the Recovery skill Thorn Wall on Hyousuke Suzuki, Misato Fushihara, Niko Kirisaki,
and Jin Shirato!
| Ichika Kawase takes 45 damage from Stress!
| Support: Ichika Kawase gains 1 Limit!

AS: Take! Misato Fushihara takes 0 Recovery healing from Ichika Kawase's Thorn Wall.
| Crt_Up (Critical Up!) and Reflect_Phys (Phys Counter Improved!) added!

AS: Take! Niko Kirisaki takes 0 Recovery healing from Ichika Kawase's Thorn Wall.
| Crt_Up (Critical Up!) and Reflect_Phys (Phys Counter Improved!) added!

AS: Take! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 0 Recovery healing from Ichika Kawase's Thorn Wall.
| Crt_Up (Critical Up!) and Reflect_Phys (Phys Counter Improved!) added!

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Niko holds fast as many arms as she's able, all smiles in spite the situation - which is typical, but it always helps to receive praise from Jin. All it takes to increase her motivation past its natural limits.

"Oh really?" she questions the matter of this being the trial. "That's weird. Takaya-sama didn't say anything like this would happen. Did he, Jin?" She doesn't get told everything, but from what she could tell even Jin didn't know what was going on, that's far more unusual.

When Hyousuke addresses her, she turns to him with a scandalized expression. "Whaaat, I'd never stab you in the back!" Her tone abruptly turns frigid as she intones, "If I hated you enough to want to stab you, I'd want you to see me do it." And just like that, back to all sunshine and roses. "But I don't, so why're we talkin' about this? Just get his ass!"

That's good enough for now, Niko thinks. Right now they can use the help to bring Leon down, there'll be plenty of time to think about what comes after when After is actually here. As for Ririka, demanding what she wants...

"Maybe I'll tell you if you'll use the proper address! It's Niko-chan, Ni-ko-chan~" Well of course she wants THAT, at the very least.

Ogre's apparent friendliness is a bit surprising, but she'll take it, as well as that enhancement. "Well, no need to worry now that we're here. We do know a few things about Jokers!" They don't know a single thing about ''this'' sort of Joker, but never mind that.

Leon's hero spiel prompts Niko to cant her head quizzically. "Sooo the trial is 'being the hero'? Not much of a trial, that's supposed to be like, a whole commitment to doing the right thing." Or maybe it involves light beams, prompting her back off and let those arms slip back free, twisting the chain in front of her to take the edge off the attack in a blocking maneuver.

Hanging the chain from her neck, she's quick to draw the Evoker from her jacket. "Well damn, if you're dead set on being a hero, we should be getting along! So why don't you calm the hell down?! PERSONA!"

Niko fires the gun-shaped object at her head with the sound of shattering glass, Ate emerging behind her, briefly stationary before the giant head launches itself upward. Only to come crashing down full force towards the Joker two seconds later.
</poem>

AS: Persona! Niko Kirisaki has used the Strike skill Savage Assault Dive on Leon Saito! 2 Hits!
| Ruin: Niko Kirisaki gains 1 Limit!

AS: Avoid Worst! Leon Saito takes 81 Strike damage from Niko Kirisaki's Savage Assault Dive. Resist!
| Blast (Magic and Block Penalized!) and Haze (Physical and Block Penalized!) added! Bind removed! Explosion! 120
damage!

AS: Avoid Neutral! Leon Saito takes 43 Strike damage from Niko Kirisaki's Savage Assault Dive. Resist!

<Pose Tracker> Misato Fushihara has posed.
<poem>That look on his face... now ''that's'' haunting. This must be... the Joker Curse. Magus had kept up with the news, but this is her first time seeing it for herself... And Ogre confirms her suspicions. She looks toward Ririka as she speaks.

Leon Saito, a student at Gekkoukan...

"On my way here, I passed a student he'd cut down." Magus explains. Ririka apologizes, saying the student will probably need an ambulance, and she shakes her head. "That's already taken care of. Just focus on the problem at hand."

She nods toward Ogre.

"...I like her plan. Let's take him down." She says.

Leon, though - even in this form, he declares himself a hero, here to remove the wicked... And he looks upon ''her'', and sees an evildoer.

Leon and Joker both descend and Magus's parrying dagger flashes out. It moves to catch the blade - and her saber soon joins it. She grimaces as she struggles... and then diverts it.

He's powerful, she'll give him that... how much of that is the Joker Curse, and how much is his own strength?

"''You're'' a hero...? Don't make me laugh. Do heroes often leave bodies in their wake?" Magus asks. "'Evildoer'... I've never been called ''that'' before. I think you're mistaking me for something I'm not ...But, fine."

Power fills her. From Ririka she feels the pulse of the earth, warning her of incoming danger... and Ogre, a shield of thorns to ward off harm. She offers them both a curt but appreciative nod.

"There's no greater rule." Magus says, of 'survive'. She turns toward Leon, then.

"If you want me to be your 'evildoer', Leon Saito... Magus reaches up, grasping her mask. "...Then I'll become the villain that crushes the hero's dreams and scatters them into the sea...! Nitocris!"

At her call, a woman of regal bearing appears behind her, dressed in Egyptian royal garb.

Nitocris casts her hands forward, and a mist begins to surround Leon - a mist that, if it takes hold, will cause drowsiness to begin to set in. And then, with a snap of her fingers, spheres of highly-pressurized water begin to form in the air around Leon. They're highly-pressurized - a single touch is enough to make them explode.

"Watch your step, 'hero'."
</poem>

AS: Misato Fushihara spends Limit on Exploit! Misato Fushihara can use another Weak skill this round!
AS: Persona! Misato Fushihara has used the Almighty skill Dormina on Leon Saito!
| Pressure: Misato Fushihara gains 1 Limit!

AS: Persona! Misato Fushihara has used the Water skill Pressure Mine on Leon Saito!
AS: Take! Leon Saito takes 0 Almighty damage from Misato Fushihara's Dormina.

<Pose Tracker> Jin Shirato has posed.
<poem>
"I'd try being grateful we're here to help," Jin snaps back, though 'help' isn't exactly the right word for it. "Whatever he is, he's powerful."

Still, despite Jin's snipping, he does commit Ririka's analysis to memory; she doesn't have a reason to lie about that -- least of all to her allies. He and Niko just happened to overhear it.

Jin is briefly surprised to find that one of his not-allies uses her buffing magic on him. Still, he's not complaining. But he's also not saying 'thank you', either.

"No," Jin says to Niko. If they were alone, he might say more, but the last thing he wants is for anyone here who isn't part of Team Strega to get any intel out of them. Whatever they had going on right now was only temporary.

"Moros!" Jin fires his evoker and Moros emerges, ready to launch its attack on Leon.
</poem>

AS: Block Best! Leon Saito takes 97 Water damage from Misato Fushihara's Pressure Mine. Weak!
AS: Take! Jin Shirato takes 0 Recovery healing from Ichika Kawase's Thorn Wall.
| Crt_Up (Critical Up!) and Reflect_Phys (Phys Counter Improved!) added!

AS: Persona! Jin Shirato has used the Dark skill Mudo on Leon Saito!
AS: Block Worst! Leon Saito takes 236 Dark damage from Jin Shirato's Mudo. Critical Hit! Weak!

<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>The blade pierced through the air, but its edge found no purchase. Achilles, in spite of the creaking mass of bronze heaped upon his form, darted to one side to avoid the blow. Hyousuke surged the other way, suffering only a cut across his cheek for his troubles. Red oozed from the thin line upon his face, but it was of no consequence. Hyousuke simply wiped the back of his hand across the offending mark, then flicked the blood down upon the floor, before raising his hands back into a guard with renewed determination in his eyes.

"Striking? Damn it...!" Hyousuke seemed more disappointed by Ririka's news than unsettled. One only needed to look at how he stood to tell why - he was a brawler by nature, and his muscles were wound like coiled springs. He seemed quite eager to launch himself into the fray, though given that he restrained himself, not quite eager enough that he could ignore their target resisting his favoured methods of attack. "Fine then! I'll keep him busy! Whatever you can do to calm him down, do it quick!" With that, Hyousuke moved forward, bobbing and weaving through what he could, while making Achilles raise his shield against what he could not avoid.

Ogre's instructions were clear, and - if he were to be honest - a little pointed, to his mind. Nevertheless, he nodded sharply, though he did not face her when he spoke. He was like a beast on the hunt, focussed only on its target as he circled in for the kill.
"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere! We're all making it out of this if I have to drag us out!" Given the hulking, brutish, brawler's determination that bordered on single-minded stubbornness, he might very well have dragged the entire party and Leon out on his back if he had to.

Ririka's song flowed into his mind, and it surged with possibilities. He could hear them, like peals of thunder in the distance, warning him of things to come. Ogre's magic bolstered his body instead of his mind, lending him a surge of strength that left his body feeling as though it were tempered iron.
"Thanks! Both of you!" He shouted, grinning a little, though it was unclear as to whether it was genuine eagerness or simple defiance against someone that sought to lay him low. "I'll put 'em both to good use! As for you..."

Hyousuke turned his gaze back to Leon, but did not throw a punch. Achilles attacked again, barrelling in with a shield before quickly thrusting out with the point of his spear, striking at more of those skeletal limbs. No risk of a killshot - it was a simple attempt at disarming him while Hyousuke himself spoke.
"A hero? The hell kinda hero are you?" He asked, letting Achilles pierce and tear through whatever he could heave the spear's keen edge into. "There ain't a goddam hero in the world that talks like that! Come on, snap out of it already, and we can talk without that damn thing crawling all over your back!"

Niko's response, meanwhile drew a somewhat disgruntled expression, and a rather exaggerated grunt of disapproval.
"Tch. First thing you've said to me that makes a damn bit of sense. Now let's do this!"
</poem>

AS: Persona! Hyousuke Suzuki has used the Pierce skill Counterthrust on Leon Saito!
| Defense: Hyousuke Suzuki gains 1 Limit!

AS: Block Neutral! Leon Saito takes 62 Pierce damage from Hyousuke Suzuki's Counterthrust.

<Pose Tracker> Leon Saito has posed.
<poem>
Leon head tilts towards Ririka, " I have found the way. I will simply wipe out everyone who ever even thought of being a bully, and then anyone who thought of hanging out with the bully, and then anyone who thought of hanging out with them and then and then and then...the world will be safe." Another chortle of laughter is given. "Haven't you ever been bullied, didn't you wish they would fall on their own sword. " The song of dissonance is played and Leon stumbles before recovering for as a hero he shall turn any stumble into something awesome as he lands into a cool pose.

Ichika explains what is happen and Leon confirms, "Yep that is what happened. I called and asked the Joker killer to solve my problem, and he did. However I see the light now, I should have done it myself." The Joker persona raises it hands and they all clap sending a wave of light across the clocktower, from the outside the clocktower probably looks like a lighthouse for a brief moment. The light may seem like a positive thing, but behind it is a rather sickening feeling.

"The trial is to have the courage to be the hero myself. To not rely on others, which is why Niko-chan, you and the other followers of the chosen one will need to be removed as well. " The joker moves forward and raises a jagged looking roughly forged claymore, that glows with light magic before bringing it down towards Niko. "The chosen one only needs the hero as his follower." Leon states.

Then there is Niko's friend, the one with the grenade, " Are you another follower of the chosen? Are you here on a trial too? Sorry you are too late to be the hero." The dark attack of Moros crashes into the Joker as arms dissolve. "However we shall accept you as a sacrifice. " Leon's persona has two arms stretch and turn ethereal as they try to grab Jin, aiming to take some of his spirit for it self and recover some of the arms lost.

Misato has already pulled Leon's attention back away from the Strega folks. "Not only do you stand in my way but you care for the evil that I have already dealt with. By my heroic logic, that makes you as much of an evildoer as those who would lay hands on the weak." The 'holy' claymore is wielded once more as the persona charges forward to slash at Misato and Nitocris, but that damn pressure mine catches the persona and throws it aside. At the same time, for another few moments Leon seems a bit more confused, "Huh... where?". However with the joker getting back up, and swinging the claymore once more at the evildoer Leon seems to be back under the curse.

As the Joker finishes it's attack on Misato , Achilles charges in and more of those skeletal limbs that the persona had just regrown were broken off. The persona doesn't drink it milk obviously. Leon looks at Hyousuke, "It must be a sad world to live in without heroes. You can smile now, for I am here." Leon gives Hyousuke a big smile as the Joker persona raises it's hands and lets loose another strong beam of light upon Achilles.
</poem>

AS: Persona! Leon Saito has used the Recovery skill Dance of Bravery on Leon Saito!
AS: Leon Saito spends Limit on Reach!
AS: Take! Leon Saito takes 0 Recovery healing from Leon Saito's Dance of Bravery.
| Crt_Up (Critical Up!) added! Atk_Dn removed!

AS: Persona! Leon Saito has used the Light skill Cleanse the wicked on Ichika Kawase, Ririka Kawase, Hyousuke Suzuki,
Niko Kirisaki, Jin Shirato, and Misato Fushihara!
| Pressure: Leon Saito gains 1 Limit!

AS: Tandem! Leon Saito has used the Light skill Sword of Justice - Holy Slice on Niko Kirisaki! 2 Hits!
AS: Persona! Leon Saito has used the Almighty skill Spirit Drain on Jin Shirato!
AS: Tandem! Leon Saito has used the Light skill Sword of Justice - Begone Evil! on Misato Fushihara!
AS: Persona! Leon Saito has used the Light skill Heroic Light on Hyousuke Suzuki! 2 Hits!
AS: Block Worst! Ririka Kawase takes 59 Light damage from Leon Saito's Cleanse the wicked.

AS: Avoid Best! Misato Fushihara takes 41 Light damage from Leon Saito's Cleanse the wicked. Critical Hit!
AS: Counter Best! Misato Fushihara takes 71 Light damage from Leon Saito's Sword of Justice - Begone Evil!.
| COUNTER! Reflect Phys! Leon Saito takes 110 Light damage in return for his attack! Resist!

AS: Block Best! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 17 Light damage from Leon Saito's Cleanse the wicked.
AS: Block Neutral! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 74 Light damage from Leon Saito's Heroic Light. Critical Hit!
AS: Counter Neutral! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 95 Light damage from Leon Saito's Heroic Light. Critical Hit!
| COUNTER! Leon Saito takes 26 Light damage in return for his attack! Resist!

AS: Block Best! Ichika Kawase takes 22 Light damage from Leon Saito's Cleanse the wicked.
AS: Block Neutral! Niko Kirisaki takes 73 Light damage from Leon Saito's Cleanse the wicked. Critical Hit!
AS: Counter Best! Niko Kirisaki takes 23 Light damage from Leon Saito's Sword of Justice - Holy Slice.
| COUNTER! Reflect Phys! Leon Saito takes 47 Strike damage in return for his attack! Resist!

AS: You have 1 more attack in queue!
AS: Counter Worst! Niko Kirisaki takes 84 Light damage from Leon Saito's Sword of Justice - Holy Slice. Critical Hit!
| COUNTER! Reflect Phys! Leon Saito takes 56 Strike damage in return for his attack! Resist!

AS: Avoid Worst! Jin Shirato takes 72 Light damage from Leon Saito's Cleanse the wicked.
AS: Take! Jin Shirato takes 29 Almighty SP damage from Leon Saito's Spirit Drain. Drain!

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka appreciates Ogre, too--mainly for helping her sister out, but even so. Even if she has no idea the two are one in the same.

But she lets out an annoyed groan as Ogre reasonably points out they might need Strega's help. "Fine, but--" She glares at Niko and Jin. "Don't think this means I've forgiven you guys." The katana was in her bag, don't worry about it.

(No it's fair to worry about it a little.)

Ririka has to bite back the retort that she and Niko aren't friends when Niko makes her request. "Not happening. I'll support you for this fight but I'm not calling you that."

Someone was hurt, but an ambulance was called. Ririka lets out a small, tense breath. "Okay, I'm glad that's handled... I'll do my best support you. I'm Ririka Kawase," she introduces herself to Magus.

"'Grateful' is pushing it, Shirato. But right now Ogre's right--we have bigger problems to worry about." She might not ''like'' Strega... but she'd have a hard time passively standing by and allowing them to die, either.

"Sorry, Suzuki-san," Ririka says. "Manage the best you can, okay? I'll be backing everyone up." This benefit she's providing is especially taxing for her to maintain, but... if it helps them, it's worth it.

''Bullying''. "Is that what this is about...? Saito-san, I'm sorry if you've been hurt, but--when would this ever stop? You'll just keep lashing out at more and more people, for people who didn't even directly do anything wrong. Does that sound like heroic behavior to you?"

A wave of light comes, and Ririka raises her katana--but it's too late and it blasts her, sending her back and to her knees. "Urgh..." she feels that revolting sickness trying to take hold, but pushes it off as she struggles to her feet. "... this might turn into a long story... Amphion! Energizing Song! Keep everyone's spirits up!"

Amphion strums, and and weaves a bright, energetic melody that weaves and settles in around Ririka, Ichika, Magus, and Jin to keep their energy up for the battle. Ririka concentrates, and Magus hears an audio cue prompting an attack at an adventageous moment. "Here, strike him now, while he's off-balance!"
</poem>

AS: Ririka Kawase spends Limit on Shift! Misato Fushihara can use another Weak skill this round! Hyper (Next Attack
Boosted/Incoming Damage Down!) applied to Misato Fushihara! They both receive 8 SP and 30 HP!
AS: Persona! Ririka Kawase has used the Recovery skill Energizing Song on Ririka Kawase, Ichika Kawase, Misato
Fushihara, and Jin Shirato!
| Insight: Ririka Kawase gains 1 Limit!

AS: Take! Misato Fushihara takes 0 Recovery healing from Ririka Kawase's Energizing Song.
| Vigor (SP restored on end of turn!) added!

AS: Take! Ichika Kawase takes 0 Recovery healing from Ririka Kawase's Energizing Song.
| Vigor (SP restored on end of turn!) added!

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ogre isn't planning to forgive, either. That boy that the girl slashed (Chidori slashed) nearly died... But she can be pragmatic when it comes to battle. A Phantom Thief must be adaptable. ...But she hasn't called Niko ''anything'' so far, and she doesn't further point at Hyousuke for the moment.

"Cool!" she calls to Hyousuke when he says he's not going anywhere. "But I don't aim to get dragged, either!"

Magus likes her plan--and Magus seems to have a history here... and some demons of her own to contend with. The villain who crushes the hero's dreams... with her greatest rule of survival.

"I'm Ogre," Ogre introduces herself to Magus. "Looks like we're on the same page today."

But they know things about Jokers? "You know about the Velvet Room?" Ogre asks.

Jin seems unfriendly, but that's if anything more reassuring than Niko's cheer to Ogre, anyway. She doesn't have much to say to him for now. Instead--

She listens to Leon. He should've... "I mean, you should be solving your own problems," she agrees, "But killing people isn't the answer!"

Even Strega--his buddies?--seem to be targets. "You're crazy," Ogre points out to Leon, and, with Ririka's blessing stilling her mind, Ichika calls forth Momiji one more time. "All right--let's go harder! Momiji!"

This time, Momiji gestures with her fingernail-clawed hand--and a mountain gale starts, a chill wind that whirls and whirls into a tornado of roiling emotions straight for the Joker.

"Hey! You're on the right track--keep going!" Ogre calls to Magus, whether she knows her moniker now or not.
</poem>

AS: Persona! Ichika Kawase has used the Wind skill Hell Cyclone on Leon Saito!
AS: Ichika Kawase spends Limit on Shift! Misato Fushihara can use another Weak skill this round! Hyper (Next Attack
Boosted/Incoming Damage Down!) applied to Misato Fushihara! They both receive 8 SP and 30 HP!
AS: Take! Ririka Kawase takes 0 Recovery healing from Ririka Kawase's Energizing Song.
| Vigor (SP restored on end of turn!) added!

AS: Hyousuke Suzuki spends Limit on Psych!
AS: Hyousuke Suzuki spends Limit on Exploit! Hyousuke Suzuki can use another Weak skill this round!

<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>Light streaked through the air, and Achilles raised his shield against those searing rays. The first sank almost harmlessly into that bronze bulwark, the heat vanishing as a shimmer in the air. The next one - a stronger one - forced the grinding noise of straining metal to ring out into the air as armour and shield were forced to take a mighty blow, and even his defences began to waver under the assault. Hyousuke didn't know if he had the mental fortitude to force Achilles to take the next blow, but had no intention of finding out the hard way. On his command, Achilles cannoned forwards with his shield raised, heedless of the damage he or his wielder took. Even as the searing lights singed skin, fabric, and metal, the two soldiered on, forever closing that distance.

The very moment that Achilles was close, he thrust his shield out in a quick and bludgeoning strike, battering away the beam of light. It was not a perfect deflection. Hyousuke felt it sink into his gut, drawing a heaving grunt of pain as he wavered from it. But he did not stop. Not even as Leon's words stirred something in him, and forced his jaw to tighten so suddenly that the muscles in his face almost snapped from the suddenness of it.
"I know how you feel." He said, with the kind of anger and conviction that could only have come from someone speaking a bitter truth. "I know how *all* of that feels! But this isn't right!"

Hyousuke spoke through clenched teeth and past clenched fists, his guard ready and his eyes focussed.
"You're dragging people that've got nothing to do with it into this! You're hurting people that don't deserve it!" He wasn't quite close enough to lash out for a heavy-handed strike, but strapped to his hip was the next best thing. With one fluid motion, Hyousuke drew his shotgun, and fired a volley of scattershot at Leon, advancing with every pull of the trigger. Achilles moved with him, shield raised as cover, protecting his wielder as their advanced devoured distance like a starving mutt.

"You want to be a hero that bad?! Then fight back against the people that hurt you! Defend the people that can't! But the second you start making up excuses to hurt innocent people..."
Hyousuke and the general moved forward like twin bolts of lightning, one heaving sword down to cleave again at the monstrous appendages, the other firing off one last salvo as he drew into point-blank range. Close enough that the anger in his eyes could be seen flaring like a wildfire. "...You're no hero."
</poem>

AS: Tandem! Hyousuke Suzuki has used the Pierce skill Shot and Shield on Leon Saito! 3 Hits!
| Defense: Hyousuke Suzuki gains 1 Limit!

AS: Persona! Hyousuke Suzuki has used the Slash skill Limbsever on Leon Saito!
AS: Block Best! Leon Saito takes 98 Wind damage from Ichika Kawase's Hell Cyclone. Critical Hit!
| Haze (Physical and Block Penalized!) and Rage (Weapon Attack and Incoming Damage Up!) added!

AS: Avoid Best! Leon Saito takes 62 Pierce damage from Hyousuke Suzuki's Shot and Shield. Critical Hit!
AS: Avoid Best! Leon Saito takes 51 Pierce damage from Hyousuke Suzuki's Shot and Shield.

AS: Block Best! Leon Saito takes 67 Pierce damage from Hyousuke Suzuki's Shot and Shield.
AS: Block Best! Leon Saito takes 166 Slash damage from Hyousuke Suzuki's Limbsever. Critical Hit! Weak!
| Atk_Dn (Damage down!) added!

<Pose Tracker> Misato Fushihara has posed.
<poem>Strega... Magus takes a moment to consider them. It's not like she hasn't heard of them, but this is her first time seeing them in person. There's an obvious rift between them and some of the others here.

They're a rather interesting sort - one seems far too energetic for that kind of business, while the other is the kind of cold and calculating she'd expect...

Well, revenge draws all kinds.

She listens, then, as Leon tells Ririka his dream of the world.

"A chain reaction. You'd have to put the whole world to the sword at that. So that's the safety you desire." Magus notes. And she stands in his way, by caring for the evil he seeks to remove...

"Yes... That's right. I'm in your way. The one standing in the way of your world... is me, Leon Saito!" Magus declares. Light is sent her way and Magus dodges to the side, but the claymore... It's huge, and she's not sure she can dodge it completely. She wouldn't see it coming, if it weren't for Ririka's aid. She readies her parrying dagger - and trusts in Ogre's barrier of thorns. She winces as the claymore digs in, but with a grunt of effort pushes it back.

"Ririka Kawase. I see. And... Ogre." Magus nods back to them both. "You can call me Magus. And, yes... so it would seem. You've both been helpful."

That's kind of like 'thanks'.

Speaking of help - Amphion strums up an invigorating melody. She can feel her mind easing, her focusing sharpening... and Ririka and Ichika both encourage her to strike.

"Curse my name, call me evil..." Magus says. She starts toward him, and as she moves, she seems to multiply. Several of her lunge forward, but only one is real - the rest a cover for weakening magic. She moves to take advantage of this immediately, rushing in with several pinpoint swipes of her saber. "...but I won't leave this world to a 'hero'."

With these final words and a gesture from Nitocris, water gathers around her blades. Magus jumps forward with one final downward slash with her saber and her parrying dagger both - and as she lands, a geyser of water erupts upward to punctuate the attack.
</poem>

AS: Persona! Misato Fushihara has used the Almighty skill Falsify on Leon Saito!
| Pressure: Misato Fushihara gains 1 Limit!

AS: Weapon! Misato Fushihara has used the Slash skill Press the Advantage on Leon Saito! 3 Hits!
AS: Tandem! Misato Fushihara has used the Water skill Tidal Blade on Leon Saito! 3 Hits!

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Niko was wondering whether she might be able to get Leon on board with her way of thinking. It didn't sound too dissimilar for a bit there. That is, until he starts talking about removing her and Jin too, of course. Gritting her teeth, she gets out the chain again in order to stand against another blast of light. It's getting more difficult, easy enough to tell they can't afford to drag this out too much. But more importantly...

"What the hell, dude? Takaya-sama wouldn't want that! In Strega, we look out for each other, 'cause no one else will! Know what that means? Means that if you mess with us, your dumb trial's gonna be the last of your worries!"

Easy enough to predict what Niko's going to do when she's ticked off. Obviously when the Joker comes at her, she's going to hit back, meeting sword swipes with chain strikes. Neither comes away cleanly, and Niko's breathing is a sign of the exertion involved. But a little venting's all she ever needs to start smiling again in short order.

But before anything else, she need to take a moment to address another certain someone. While she doesn't need Ririka's forgiveness, she does need Ririka to call her Niko-chan. That's important. So when that doesn't happen...

"Rika-chan, Rika-chan, Rika-chan," Niko makes a show of saying. If Ririka won't do it, she'll do it ''thrice''. Setting the right example here. "You're so cold to me these days. I'm sorry for not hanging out more - I'll make it up to you later, okay~?"

No need to worry about whether that was a threat. Worry about whether that was a promise.

But for now, back to Leon. Niko looks back his way with an expression of sympathy. "Poor, poor Leon-chan. You're so confused. But don't worry. Niko-chan's here to help make it alllll better. Ate?"

The giant spectral head lowers down in front of Niko, the glow from its empty eye sockets rapidly switching between the spectrum of colors. This is not helping ''at all''. Not only is this a prelude to a psychic barrage, if Leon was confused before, if anything this is only going to make it worse. But hey, an opponent who can't focus very well is an easier opponent to deal with... and to influence.

"Y'know, for someone who doesn't want to rely on others, you're relying on this jerkface with the arms a whole lot. Sure you're going to pass that trial of yours like this?"
</poem>

AS: Niko Kirisaki spends Limit on Exploit! Niko Kirisaki can use another Weak skill this round!
AS: Persona! Niko Kirisaki has used the Elec skill Furious Psio on Leon Saito! 3 Hits!
| Ruin: Niko Kirisaki gains 1 Limit!

AS: Persona! Niko Kirisaki has used the Almighty skill Soul Break on Leon Saito!
AS: Misato Fushihara spends Limit on Shift! Ichika Kawase can use another Weak skill this round!

<Pose Tracker> Jin Shirato has posed.
<poem>
Leon's persona wraps its arms around Jin and contracts tightly around Jin's frame. "Tch!" No way he's going to let the others see him bothered by the pain. By the time the arms of Leon's persona unfurl and Jin drops to the floor, he feels depleted.

At least he manages to land on his feet.

"...D-Dammit." Jin straightens. "I hate guys like you. Always trying to find someone else to protect them because they can't stand on their own feet! If you really want to put a stop to it, do it with your own damn strength!"

Jin's evoker goes to his head again as he calls out his Persona's name. It manifests behind him and launches its attack at Leon as if to demonstrate.
</poem>

AS: Take! Jin Shirato takes 0 Recovery healing from Ririka Kawase's Energizing Song.
| Vigor (SP restored on end of turn!) added!

AS: Persona! Jin Shirato has used the Dark skill Mudo on Leon Saito!
AS: Take! Leon Saito takes 0 Almighty damage from Misato Fushihara's Falsify.
| Bind (Magic and Avoid Penalized!) and Poison (Damage on end of turn!) added! Haze removed! Explosion! 27 damage!

AS: Block Best! Leon Saito takes 31 Slash damage from Misato Fushihara's Press the Advantage. Weak!
AS: Block Worst! Leon Saito takes 50 Slash damage from Misato Fushihara's Press the Advantage. Weak!
AS: Block Best! Leon Saito takes 31 Slash damage from Misato Fushihara's Press the Advantage. Weak!
AS: Avoid Neutral! Leon Saito takes 128 Water damage from Misato Fushihara's Tidal Blade. Critical Hit! Weak!
AS: Avoid Worst! Leon Saito takes 149 Water damage from Misato Fushihara's Tidal Blade. Weak!
AS: Take! Leon Saito takes 0 Almighty damage from Niko Kirisaki's Soul Break.
AS: Block Worst! Leon Saito takes 135 Water damage from Misato Fushihara's Tidal Blade. Weak!
AS: Block Neutral! Leon Saito takes 81 Elec damage from Niko Kirisaki's Furious Psio. Critical Hit!
| Bind (Magic and Avoid Penalized!) added!

AS: Block Best! Leon Saito takes 56 Elec damage from Niko Kirisaki's Furious Psio. Critical Hit!
AS: Block Neutral! Leon Saito takes 64 Elec damage from Niko Kirisaki's Furious Psio.
AS: Block Best! Leon Saito takes 158 Dark damage from Jin Shirato's Mudo. Weak!
| Leon Saito is unable to continue fighting!

<Pose Tracker> Leon Saito has posed.
<poem>
The joker persona attacks and all seems well, but Leon's body is telling another tale. Bruises and slashes are appearing across the cursed teen's body as the damage is reflected, still Leon doesn't notice it. A hero wouldn't let such a thing stop him after all.

Leon's giggles stop as he looks at Ririka, "They can learn to cower in fear as they await for their judgement to come. They should learn how it feels to live a life of fear."

Leon doesn't get to say more though as a tornado of wind takes hold of the Joker persona and launches it into Ichika, something neither of which the two were ready for. Leon slowly gets back to his feet, his frail body not use to combat and the constant pressure of the curse catching up to him. "If you ask other people to solve your problems, you just get cursed. Better to do it yourself."

Again Leon isn't allowed to react as the attacks keep coming, the sight of Hyousuke's shotgun causing the eyeless Leon to go wideeyed as he tries to duck away, the Joker persona forcing itself in the way to defend that which it must to keep going. Arms are sacrificed but more are growing as the Joker persona pulls more and more from Leon.

Leon is looking a little less stable as Magus declares herself the person in his way. "Evil must be stopped." Stepping forward Leon takes one of the swords from the arms and tries to meet Misato, there are signs that he knows how to actually use the sword but well Leon's arms are almost skinnier then the bone arms coming from his persona. Instead both Leon and the persona are struck by Magus's blade and the water geyser. It may seem that they are all washed up.

Niko's psychic barrage does in fact, not help Leon, neither does her words. He doesn't have a response for Niko, at least not yet. Still the Persona is doing it's best to defend Leon, even if it calls Leon in process as it drains Leon of more and more life force to keep going.

The Joker persona slashes through the Mudo of Jin, and by slashing more as if just hitting the mudo the spell doing exactly what it was intended to do by hitting its target and hurting it like hell. That's ok, the persona just takes more from Leon.

Leon is but a husk of his normal self so much had been taken but he is still standing. "I ...shall...judge them... and remove all who would hurt...the weak." The persona with the joker mask is standing behind Leon and from certain angles with all those arms almost seems like it is puppeting Leon as Leon steps forward. Raises the giant claymore in the air, stabs it into the ground....

and ...

nothing happens. Instead Leon slumps across the sword as the corrupted persona looks at Leon and tries its best to pull Leon up but that's when the arm doing the pulling shatters. Then another, and another. Slowly the persona shatters in a chain reaction, before the main body looks at the crew and makes one final charge, before shattering into nothing. Leon himself collapsing onto the ground as the supernaturally made sword he was slumped over has disappeared too.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka sighs in relief as her spell finally comes do, and a wave of healing magic washes over her. "That's better," she says relieved.

Ririka remembers that boy, too--she helped him up out of the air raid shelter. And she's got other grievances against Strega, too.

It's Ririka's turn to double take at a weapon as she notices that ''Hyousuke'' has a shotgun. "What the--"

"Magus, then." It's not the first time Ririka's worked with someone using an alias, after all. "I wish we were meeting under better circumstances, but hang in there!"

'Rika-chan, Rika-chan, Rika-chan.' "I can hear you just fine, you know--if you need something just spit it out." And then she does, and Ririka kicks herself internally. "''Maybe'' it'd be easier to hang out with you if you and your friends hadn't ''attacked our dorm''! Did you ever think of that?"

"Shit-- Ogre, please don't tell my sister about that. You too, Suzuki-san."

Those injuries make Ririka feel uneasy--she doesn't know how easy they'll be to heal after, if he's not Awakened. "If all you want to do is to make people live in fear... then you're playing the part of a bully, not a hero. They shouldn't have hurt you--but it's not right to hurt and scare others in turn."

She watches, then, as Leon slumps--but then the Joker shatters, and Ririka lets out a sigh of relief as she rushes over to kneel and check on him. "Saito-san!" She closes her eyes to listen, trying to discern his condition. "Where's the nearest entrance to the Velvet Room? I'll plot a path..." She's searching, but it's just easier if someone tells her. "And... I hear an ambulance arriving. The injured boy should be alright..." she adds for Magus.

She can explain Navigators as they help Leon, if Magus comes with.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
<poem>
"Magus, then. ...Heroes aren't all bad, but I'm not going to wait for one to show up, either."

Takaya-sama; Strega looks out for each other...

Ogre looks over Niko and Jin both, thoughtful. But soon, Leon's down... and Ririka is still ok. Rika-chan, Niko had said.

"They what?" Ogre asks, and then frowns. "...Whatever, it's done now. Since we all helped, I think we can all let each other go... right?"

She won't tell Ichika! Well. Oops.

"...Think I saw an entrance on my way in," Ichika says. Sometimes, the Velvet Room is where you need it, rather than just where it usually is. Ogre then walks up to scoop Leon up in her arms. "Up we go, dude. We're gonna get you there before you wake back up..."

"And hope Igor can help."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>Hyousuke wished he'd had the mask. Not for any reasons relating to protection, but because he very much could not look Ririka in the eye when she requested he keep quiet in regards to the attack on the SEES dorms.
"I won't tell her a thing." He reassured Ririka. It was not a lie, even on a technicality. But that didn't make the situation any less awkward. "But you're gonna have to fill me in about it when we're done with this." With his attention turned back to Leon, he did not notice Ririka's surprise at his shotgun, nor was he of the mind to comment on it.

Even if he himself had questions about the sword.

Whatever weapons Hyousuke and his allies used, they did the trick. It wasn't long before Leon's body gave out and collapsed, though even with him supposedly neutralised, Hyousuke kept the barrel of his gun trained on his foe. Then, when he was certain that Leon was no longer a threat, and Ichika had hoisted him up, he turned the barrel back to the members of Strega. He didn't even attempt to hide how much he distrusted them - Takaya for the park incident, Niko for various others, and Jun by association.
"We're leaving. You lot try anything I don't like, and I'm pulling the trigger. Got it?" He asked, his voice a threatening snarl.

He then glanced to Magus, and fixed her with a stern - though not hostile - look.
"And you... No idea who you are, but thanks for the help. Magus, ain't it?" There was an edge to his words, though not directed at her. Whether they were the result of him coming down from a battle high, or lingering tensions with Strega putting him on edge, he did not think to make clear.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Misato Fushihara has posed.
<poem>"You should be more worried about him. ...But I echo the sentiment." Magus replies to Ririka.

Leon says evil must be stopped.

"Then stop me, hero." Magus replies. He's struck. He declares his intent to judge them, to remove all who would hurt the weak... Magus backpedals, bracing herself. It feels like something big is coming...!

...But before he can finish it, Leon collapses. The Persona can puppet him no longer. She watches him carefully... but he doesn't seem about to get up. She straightens up, returning her weapons to her cloak. She looks toward Ririka.

"Good. So it got through." She replies, then looks toward Ichika. Heroes...

"They're too unreliable for me to put my trust in. I don't plan on waiting for one, either." Magus replies to Ichika. It seems they agree, at least that much. She looks toward Hyousuke, then, offering him a similar assessing look.

"That's right." She confirms with a nod. "I heard them calling you 'Suzuki'. ...You fight well."

For now, the Velvet Room. Magus nods, when she says there's one on the way in. "In that case, I'll accompany you - just in case he wakes up before we get there."

She doesn't need the refresher on Navigators, but she listens all the same. It saves her from having to talk about herself.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
It's hard not to notice what the Joker Persona is doing to Leon as the fight drags out. If it even is a Persona. Niko may not know a lot about it all works, but she's pretty sure you're supposed to be the one who calls on your Persona's power. That Persona just seemed to be doing whatever it wants, making Leon suffer for it. Her bearing, however, seems far from concerned by it all when Leon's body gives out.

"Borrowed power, huh. Rough deal." She stretches herself out. "And sooo disappointing. I was expecting like a sequel to the Joker Killer, but this isn't like his deal at all."

Non-plussed by Hyousuke's threat, she just shrugs a little. "C'mon man, no need for any for that. We were just here because it seemed interesting. Turns out it wasn't. Oh well."

She looks over to Ririka, still entirely unconcerned. "You're still not over that? Man. You really need to learn about burying the hatchet, Rika-chan. You're not gonna keep any friends that way."

She starts to calmly saunter away with her arms behind her head, but turns around after a few steps. "You know, a little birdy" - Jin - "told me SEES was involved with the Joker Killer's death. You don't see me giving you shit about that, do you? Think about that. C'mon Jin-- oh." There's a dotted outline where Jin once stood. "Well sor-ry for boring you!" she calls down the hallway as she stomps out after him.
</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 2]]

2026-06-16: Performance Bonus

2026-06-22T21:42:44Z

Fureasei: Created page with "*'''Log: Performance Bonus''' *'''Cast:''' Niko Kirisaki, Miho Ijuuin *'''Where:''' Port Island Station - Main *'''OOC Date:''' June 16, 2026 *'''IC Date:''' November 25, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''Niko puts on a little show for the people passing by Port Island Station, in the process drawing the attention of fellow Persona User Miho Ijuuin. Though they may not know one another's affiliation, there is mutual interest, and their frank conversation uncovers a certain..."

*'''Log: Performance Bonus'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Niko Kirisaki]], [[Miho Ijuuin]]
*'''Where:''' Port Island Station - Main
*'''OOC Date:''' June 16, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' November 25, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Niko puts on a little show for the people passing by Port Island Station, in the process drawing the attention of fellow Persona User Miho Ijuuin. Though they may not know one another's affiliation, there is mutual interest, and their frank conversation uncovers a certain level of like-mindedness.''

----

(|======================== Port Island Station - Main ========================|)
-======================================= Iwatodai City/Tatsumi Port Island ====-
A sunny arrival greets people who ride the monorail to the artificial island
every day, as once off the platform, Port Island Station is open-air, allowing
the sea breeze to spread throughout it. Columns slice a diagonal towards a
curved wall that makes the station take on an amphitheater type appearance.

A vendor at Rafflesia makes the enticing offer of flowers for decorations and
gifts to your sweetheart alike, while Screen Shot Cinema presents matinee
pricing for students getting away from the stress of school and wanting to catch
the latest releases. Police dot the place, stopping people before they might
make a wrong turn towards certain alleys. Of course, you wouldn't know anything
about going to places like that, now would you?

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
A train station perhaps isn't the first thing most people would think of when they think of the word 'entertainment'. Yet on a nice clear and temperate day such as this, one might catch sight of the occasional street performer, generally tolerated so long as they don't cause a disturbance. Most commonly, it will be someone playing an instrument. Today, it's something very different.

A wide half-circle has been formed by over a dozen people of various stripes and ages, witnessing an act that is most unusual indeed. A pink-haired teenage girl in what could be fairly be described as punk clothing is using both hands to swing something about her body, making jingling sounds with every movement. It's not your average rope swing exercise, nor could it be called rhythmic gymnastics. It's somewhere in the middle, a dance all of its own, featuring movements that would be tricky enough using a rope.

But... that's not a rope. It's a lengthy section of chain, swung about with the greatest of ease. One might think it a magic act, considering most would find it difficult to swing about at all, let alone in any sort of controlled manner. Looking at this girl's unusually muscular physique though, perhaps it's not far-fetched to believe it to be real.

This sort of thing ''might'' qualify as disruptive, but there is no police interference with this. Mainly because the closest police officer is among the crowd, whistling appreciatively as he enjoys the show. "Gooo, Niko-chan!" yells someone else from the crowd, one of a pair of girls that look about as old and certainly as delinquent as she does. A much smaller boy claps his hands, wondering aloud, "How does she DO that?" A middle-aged man with his arms crossed grumbles, "It's obviously some sort of trick."

Niko chooses that moment to release the chain, her only warning the word, "Catch~" The chain strikes the grumbling man right in the gut, and he doubles over - which, perhaps surprisingly, only prompts laughter from the crowd, the police officer included. Niko smiles brightly as she retrieves the chain and hangs it from her shoulders before taking a bow, drawing applause and a measure of change deposited in a wooden crate placed nearby for the purpose.

With the crowd dispersing, Niko stretches herself out, chuckling to herself as she watches the officer assist the wheezing heckler. "Everyone's a critic... once."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
<poem>
Miho Ijuuin does come out to Port Island now and then. She's considering quitting her job at the Katou Corporation, but she hasn't done it yet, and there's a certain business meeting she had in the area...

A business meeting that is over, and sees her step back out into the station to pick up some flowers...

And see a show.

Miho is a very tall woman in a black suit. No tie, of course--ties are for ''men''--but her suit is well-tailored and she has a very businesslike aura about her. She watches from away from the crowd, able to see over everyone by virtue of her great height.

So, she catches the police officer's reaction, and--

A trick.

Miho lifts an eyebrow at the way it all shakes out. She considers...

And in that moment, she feels it--the heartbeat-heartbeat sense of a Persona-user, and Niko may feel it, too. Without her wife, Miho doesn't have the capability to hide her own resonance in the same way.

So Miho approaches Niko. "Interesting," she says. "You really had the crowd on your side."

"...Even the officer there."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
A station's a great spot to run into all sorts of people, going about all sorts of business. That's why this is one of Niko's most common haunts. Sometimes for work, sometimes for fun. This? This was purely for fun. Bit of extra change is nice, but really, she could make money more quickly just beating up on Shadows. She has no clue why they even drop money, but hey, can't demand the supernatural to make sense, why even question it?

Niko did see the tall businesslady back there, kind of hard to miss that height. Niko isn't small herself, but that's still almost a head taller than she is. That's interesting in itself.

When there's a ping of resonance coming from that direction, that's more interesting still. Feels like it's getting easier to pick out where it's coming from in a crowd... though really, her intuition would've said it's the tall lady, either way. That's just the vibe, there.

Still, she doesn't draw particular attention to it, yet. Curious to see whether Miho will make the first move. And she is not disappointed.

"Hehe, you know it," is her only initial response, followed by, "Hang on a sec." Moving to the box of change, she moves to fold the cloth at the bottom together, creating a makeshift sack to collect it all in. Her brows raise as she nods appreciatively. "Bunch of fivers in there, nice." 500 yen coins, presumably.

That done, she turns her attention back to Miho. "What can I say, I've got an adoring public. They know me 'round here. I look like this, but I don't cause no trouble. Not for no reason, anyway~" Or where normal people could see it.

"I'm Niko Kirisaki," she proceeds to the all-important task of introducing herself in a bright tone. "Just call me Niko!" There are limits to who she'll suggest/insist on the -chan suffix, but the familiar form of address, that's always important.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
<poem>
It's a fair assumption; Miho is pretty intense.

"All right," Miho answers to the request to hold on. She waits; money is important to those who don't have it especially. "Nice," she agrees. But when she's done...

"So you do," Miho agrees. "That's interesting to me. But I suppose there's something to be said for the home field advantage..."

A beat, "Very well. I'll decide how else to address you after we have a chance to speak. I am Miho Ijuuin." She does not provide guidance on how to call her; maybe she's curious if Niko will actually go for her first name in these circumstances.

"They ''don't'' know me around here," she contends. "I don't get out here often; I'm just here for the flowers..."

"Though pink isn't the color I was counting on, it seems it might be the order of the day."

She's still trying to 'read' Niko a bit. Maybe then she'll come out with a stab of her own about Personas.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Probably not that hard to believe Niko is the sort who'd need money, just from looking at her. It may be easier to believe still that she commonly earns it in a less respectable way than street performances, or at least a less normal way. In so far as THAT performance could be considered normal.

"Home field..." Niko pauses just a little bit too long not to raise an eyebrow at, before she simply finishes the thought with a nod. "I guess that's true enough."

Though she's not thrilled about putting off what to call her (that should be an easy decision, she ''just said''...), Miho's own introduction deflects any sort of objection there might have been, Niko noting with open surprise, "Oh shit, your name sounds similar to my name, go figure. Nice to meetcha, Miho!"

Didn't just go for the first name, but in the most casual way possible, and being a little crude along the way. Can't claim that Niko doesn't give away what she's like right off the bat.

...Also, she indirectly gave away that the name 'Miho Ijuuin' doesn't ring a single bell for her. One supposes that not everybody in Japan would follow the Olympics, but... well, needless to say, she's not going to think anything is off about the claim that nobody would know Miho around here.

"Hell yeah, go for pink, it's a good color," the girl who dyed her hair pink opines, try to act surprised. Casually placing her hands behind her head, she finally decides to press a bit on that point. "Rafflesia's got good stuff, but you can get flowers anywhere. You really go out of your way just for that?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
<poem>
Miho can believe both of these things--but prefers to wait for a little more evidence. For now, she notices that pause...

And then the similarity. Miho laughs outright, openly amused at the way Niko just goes for it. "In that case," she says, "I ''will'' call you Niko-chan. It's a pleasure."

Miho is not too surprised; Niko doesn't look like she follows the Olympics. But it's still a useful piece of data. And Miho walks along a little further, along the way towards the back of the station instead of out where everyone sees.

"Not at all," Miho says. "I was here on entirely mundane business, and thought to patronize Rafflesia as only slightly out of my way."

A beat, "But that business was boring, and I can delay getting flowers to a woman who deserves them for a little longer to talk to someone who has that particular 'feeling' to them."

"Do you really use the chain ''just'' for performance?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
This is what Niko calls a Great Success In Friendship Establishment. First name basis, and she gets the -chan out of it and everything!

"Oh shit, really? Nice! Wasn't sure you'd be cool like that, but, hey, sounds like we're on the same wavelength! Pleasure for sure, Miho!" ...she's still not adding a counter-chan in this case. First name, no problem, but Niko's got her limits. The Adult vibe is too strong here for a -chan.

Niko may in fact look more like she has aspirations to ''be'' in the Olympics, were it not for Circumstances. Right now one might rightly wonder if she has much of an opportunity to watch TV. Whatever the case may be, she doesn't seem very concerned about it, nor does she have any qualms to follow someone she just met to a spot more out of the public eye.

She seems to have no problem accepting the stated reason. "Business... yeah, you look like 'business'." Whatever that's supposed to mean. She doesn't bat an eye at the flowers being for a woman, but who knows if she caught onto any sort of context with that one.

Once that 'feeling' comes up though, and it's no longer so easy for people to overhear, Niko drops the pretense, though not her casual way of speaking. "Caught your interest, huh?" She takes the chain off her neck, weighing it in her hands. "It's pretty handy for trashing Shadows too. Or, y'know." In a fluent motion, she snaps the chain forward once, before moving to wrap it around her waist.

"Whatever else is in the way." The way she smiles isn't any less bright than before. "Got a feeling you know a thing or two about that sorta thing, am I right?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
<poem>
Miho doesn't have to worry as much about respect as some people; she has a strong sense of self-esteem. ...Maybe in other circumstances, she might insist on the proper honorific, but in this case, she was testing Niko for boldness, and she passed with flying colors.

So why punish her for the desired outcome?

Miho can appreciate someone pursuing physical strength. Niko clearly isn't neglecting it. But for now...

"I'm dressed for it," Miho agrees easily enough. And is it so weird, to get flowers for your friend? ...Obviously that's all it is. Obviously*.

"You did." She looks over the chain, and then back to Niko. "I imagine so." Miho doesn't flinch at the snap of the chain. She's entirely serene, it would seem. Or just hard to spook. "Indeed. My preference is a sword," she says, "But something easier to conceal or carry has its merits."

"You are right about that much; many things can get 'in the way' in such circumstances as that."

"...So, Niko-chan," Miho says. "Find anything interesting in those 'somethings' lately?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Boldness, Niko's got in spades. To her detriment, at times, but combined with her general pleasant demeanor, it tends to get her places more often than not. No wonder she is completely unrepentant 99 percent of the time. Just don't ask Niko about how weird, well, anything is. Her standards for that are pretty... non-standard.

Whatever the case, she clearly doesn't just not mind attention, she enjoys the interest, and is pretty interested in turn. Won't think twice about pelting a random onlooker with a heavy chain without saying more than a word to them, but someone with Powers, that could easily be a worthwhile conversation to have.

Clearly someone very used to the way things work, in this case. "Swords, huh? Metal," she comments, perhaps a bit on the nose. "I got this thing," she notes, gesturing to her 'belt', which does stand out as a fashion choice if nothing else. "But I can use my hands just fine. Makin' the best of what I got." (It's muscles, what she's got is muscles.)

When prompted about the 'somethings' that get in the way, one recent encounter readily springs to mind. "Darndest thing. Me and my friends were just minding our own business down in the subway," - she means Mementos, obviously - "And we came across what is apparently literally the Grim Reaper, can you believe it? Fucking thing had guns! What happened to the scythe, is nothing sacred anymore?"

''That'''s what she trips over, in the end?? Well, nobody would claim Niko's brain works like most people's. Though she does rub her now unblemished right shoulder. "Getting shot sucks," in her opinion. Turning her head back to Miho, she needlessly clarifies, "I got better."

</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
<poem>
Miho has non-standard standards, too. They just aren't as obvious because she's wealthy, clean-cut, and famous.

"Quite," Miho agrees with 'metal', and she notices both the chain and her hands. "Hmm. Perhaps I should invest more in hand-to-hand training..." Muscles. Miho ''also'' has muscles, though they're less obvious in this suit. It's tailored to downplay them, after all; wouldn't want to threaten the men at work. "You clearly don't neglect your own."

But somethings... The subway, of course. Miho doesn't spend much time in Mementos, since that one time. But now...

"Fascinating," Miho reflects. "I've heard of the Reaper, but never met it. I certainly didn't realize it used guns. I suppose it has something to do with the lingering specter of the firing squad..."

Or maybe it's just badass. Who knows?

"It does," Miho agrees, and reaches to tap her left upper arm. "Last time I was shot, it was by someone ''without'' a Persona. Almost undignified, given the circumstances... but I've learned to be less reckless since then."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
If Miho's mode of dress serves to downplay her physique, Niko seems quite the opposite. And yet her response to not neglecting her training is to downplay it in turn. "Eh, you know, I do what I gotta." If it were anyone else, that might be a case of typical Japanese humility. Not something Niko tends to show a ton of.

Where it comes to the Reaper, though... "Don't even care, I just don't want to ever see that thing again. It was like... somehow we all just knew, before we even saw it, there's no way we could beat this thing. Now I know these guys, they're strong and got plenty confidence, just like me. And still, every single one of us, we were just 'nope, gotta run', just based on how it felt. How messed up is that?"

Niko might have been just a little shaken by that ordeal, and looking to talk to someone about it. And sometimes, a stranger who feels like they'd understand seems like the best choice for that sort of thing.

She lets out a breath, finally. And then makes a face, at being shot in the real world. "Damn. That must suck even more, harder to get that healed." At least it probably wasn't Strega, if Miho's sure it was someone without a Persona. That would've been awkward. Though, being reminded of that...

"Y'know, if you still got beef with whoever got that cheap shot in, and you wanna get even... I know a guy who knows a guy."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
<poem>
"Fair enough."

Miho considers that. "Hmm. That's a healthy attitude," Miho reflects. "But I find myself in a position where 'danger' is a potentially useful matter." A pause. "Maybe best not to seek that particular source, in that case. If nothing else, my... friend, would be distressed to sense such a thing." Did Miho think about setting up Black Mask and the Reaper in the same room somehow? Maybe. But she's not crazy enough to think it'd actually work out in her favor.

"It's quite 'messed up' indeed."

Still, shot. "It was a problem," Miho agrees. "I had to wear a sling for a while. It interfered with my exercise routines, no less. At least it didn't happen until ''after'' the competitions."

She considers the offer. "Hmm. While that man is no longer a problem to anyone," she euphemizes simply, "That ''is'' a useful 'guy' to know. I might take an introduction sometime, if we continue to get along."

"I do most of my own 'getting even', but one can't have enough methods."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
"Yeah, I getcha," Niko is quick to agree with danger possibly being useful. "But believe me, if you ever feel what I felt back there, never mind your friend, I know you'd understand too." She grins. "Yeah, I know, I barely know you, but I'm still sure about that. It's like, if you could feel the word 'no', I'm sure that's what it would feel like."

...Hm, maybe this is actually hyping it up, she considers. She didn't mean it to be reverse psychology, but now that she thinks about it, that might work on her. No more of that topic then. Though she's not going to retract anything she said, either. Could be a funny story later, if something did come of it.

Instead, there is a noise somewhere in between a whine and a grumble from Niko, hearing about the sling. "Tell me about it. This guy knocked me through a wall once, had to keep my arm still for three weeks to heal the bone."

...That's not actually very long for an injury like that. But it sure felt like forever to her.

"Competitions, huh?" She did catch that word. But rather than pry, she instead comments, "Never been much for those. If it were up to me..." There's another odd pause, Niko's gaze turning to the sky. "...I'd prefer if everybody wins."

The moment passes like a breeze on the wind, Niko abruptly refocusing on Business. Spreading the word makes Jin happy, so, gotta do her best, even when talking to someone who clearly has her own ways of getting revenge.

"Right on, right on. Well, we all got times we'd rather not get our own hands dirty, right? That ever happen to you, go to Club Escapade and look for the guy with a laptop that makes you go 'this is the most suspicious guy I've ever seen'. Ask him about Revenge Request, he'll hook you up."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
<poem>
"I've... felt similar," Miho says. "So I believe you."

It could be hyping it up, but at least Miho isn't the type to see a potential 'challenge' and charge straight at it; she prefers to keep her eyes on the prize. ...Whatever the prize happens to be.

Still, "Ouch," she says of being knocked through a wall. "Inconvenient, injury. I prefer to avoid it."

But competitions. Everyone would win, hm...? Miho files that information away for the moment. It's an interesting perspective from someone who dresses like a street punk. Not necessarily strange, but interesting. And now, for Business...

"True," Miho agrees. "...Heh. That's quite the image. I'll remember it."

Then, she reaches into her jacket, and pulls out a card. She offers it to Niko--only one-handed. She is apparently not standing on ceremony.

"I should be about those flowers. I think I ''will'' get something pink."

"...But call me sometime, if you find something really 'interesting'."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
That, in turn, is interesting to Niko. Miho's made a very collected impression, yet she does understand that sort of feeling. She's not sure if that says something more about Miho, or more about what else is out there.

"I hear that," she says on injury. "Or at least gotta make sure there's a healer nearby, who can also actually do the healing thing right then." So Niko's abilities do not include healing, quite possibly the least surprising fact that was learned today. And what may be the most surprising one isn't elaborated on any further, isn't that always the way?

Niko appears a bit taken aback, being presented with a business card. "Uh, shit, I don't have one of those to give in return, that's rude isn't it?" Unlike her speech, that's fine. It also won't stop her from accepting the card, raising it up slightly in acknowledgement. "Sure, I'll give ya a call sometime. If nothing else so you have my number too. Only proper - we're friends now, right Miho?"

It's a rhetorical question, obviously they are. They're on a first name basis, and Miho's taking flower colors on her recommendation. That's friend behavior, Q.E.D.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
<poem>
Miho has met the Black Mask; for all that she has confidence in herself, she knows where sometimes, even her own power isn't quite enough.

"That helps," Miho agrees. Her Persona does a little healing... but only a very little. It's self-sufficient like that. It is definitely the way, though. And at Niko's reaction--

Miho laughs faintly. "It's fine," she says. "The polite approach is to give and take cards with both hands, bow slightly, and offer your own in return, yes. But some things go deeper than manners."

"I'll accept that." A call! And...

"Yes, Niko-chan. It would appear that we are." A beat, "Take care of yourself." She starts off.
</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 2]]

2026-06-13: Vibe Check

2026-06-22T21:41:55Z

Fureasei: Created page with "*'''Log: Vibe Check''' *'''Cast:''' Leon Saito, Niko Kirisaki *'''Where:''' Aoba Park *'''OOC Date:''' June 13, 2026 *'''IC Date:''' November 24, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''Searching Aoba Park for his 'patron', Leon instead runs into a member of Takaya's entourage, Niko. Wondering what Takaya's interest in this Generic Dude could be, Niko decides to employ her usual level of subtlety in trying to figure out what makes Leon tick.'' ---- (|==========================..."

*'''Log: Vibe Check'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Leon Saito]], [[Niko Kirisaki]]
*'''Where:''' Aoba Park
*'''OOC Date:''' June 13, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' November 24, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Searching Aoba Park for his 'patron', Leon instead runs into a member of Takaya's entourage, Niko. Wondering what Takaya's interest in this Generic Dude could be, Niko decides to employ her usual level of subtlety in trying to figure out what makes Leon tick.''

----

(|=============================== Aoba - Main ================================|)
-=================================================== Sumaru City/Aoba Ward ====-
To Sumaru's east is Aoba Ward, where fashion and commerce abound. The city's
fire department headquarters is based here too. Ample shopping can be found at
the stores that dot Aoba Way. Past it, Aoba Park is a popular place to walk
around and relax, especially since there's an outdoor concert hall located
deeper within where one might catch a live concert.

Various programs are filmed at Sumaru TV, where famous stars like veteran
actress Junko Kurosu, talk show host Hidehiko "Brown" Uesugi, and popular model
Eriko "Elly" Kirishima might be spotted. Along the way, one will pass Kismet
Publishing, where popular publications like hot teen magazine Coolest are made.

<Pose Tracker> Leon Saito has posed.
<poem>
Saturday afternoon and once again a young pale man had skipped school to make his way from the port to Aoba Park. Leon stands in the sun trying to take in some of the warmth it provides while looking under literally every tree for a shirtless man who is reading a book.

A buzz is heard and Leon pulls his phone out to check the message and sighs, his mother reminding him of the american dinner that was a family tradition would be ready in a few hours. It would unfortunately be cutting his search short.

Suddenly he stands up straight as if someone ran a cold finger down his spine and drops his phone, looking around every which way before shaking his head and muttering to himself, "It's just a trial, just a trial, just a trial." Picking up his phone Leon tilts his head at the message again before putting it in his pocket. If he could just find Mr. Takaya, at least he would have something to be thankful for.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Seeing who in her age range is out and about during school hours is something that Niko considers a good measuring tool for singling out Rebels. As much as she enjoys just randomly striking up conversations with total strangers, normal people are boring. There has to be something that stands out to make it worth the effort.

While she is 'on the prowl' today just for that sort of reason, she's also been hanging around the park occasionally to see if the situation has changed any, since the dispersal of the zombie crowd that used to be gathered there. While she's disappointed in that regard, she does spot someone who seems as if he doesn't quite fit the mold. Her interest is increased further when his features seem to match a profile that was added into Strega's system of contacts. Well well. This may be worth looking into.

Though she stands out like a sore thumb, Niko can be stealthy when she wants to be. Just a simple matter of sneaking up behind someone, that's easy, especially when they seem distracted to begin with. She doesn't know what trial he's muttering about, but if he wants one of those, she can give him one.

And so, out of nowhere, rather than a cold finger, an entire hand lands on Leon's shoulder. "Looking for something?"

Upon turning around, Niko will be standing there, giving a cheerful wave. She isn't quite as tall as Leon is, though there may still be a sense of intimidation involved on the matter of build. This girl has muscles for days, which is all the more obvious now that she's wearing her more common outfit, compared to when Leon would have seen her around here last. No pink skeleton dress this time, but denim shorts and a sleeveless mini-jacket that leaves the midriff exposed, strengthening the punk vibes of her general look.

And yet, with a completely casual bearing and tone, as if speaking to a friend. "Could help look, if you tell me what is is. Unless... this wouldn't happen to be a case of returning to the scene of the crime, would it?"

Whatever that's supposed to mean. Doesn't looks like she's planning on adding additional context, leaving it to Leon to figure it out.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Leon Saito has posed.
<poem>

The skittish teenager jumps once again at the hand and then the voice and turns and...actually seems to relax when he sees Niko. "You...You scared me." Leon steps back as he looks at Niko and isn't sure immediately about her.

Thoughts race through his head, as his heart rate quickens and he gets the flight instinct that humans have about to kick in. It only doubles down when the question about the scene of the crime comes up and Leon's head is swiveling as he tries to figure out where to run.

Finally he finds his voice again as he recognizes the girl, she was with Takaya that one time. "Um... I'm looking for..." He mumbles for a moment before taking a deep breath. "I am looking for Mister Takaya, I thought he may be here." Leon looks at the ground feeling awkward now as if that was a stupid idea once said outloud.

The poor mouse of a boy stands there as if waiting for something, as he does one might feel the air around him growing colder.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Niko's reaction to having scared Leon is as cheerful as it is unrepentant. "I could tell!" She wouldn't keep doing that if people's reactions weren't always so funny.

Her gaze turns more curious as she observes the obvious tells of someone nervous in her presence. She is quick to grin again though. "What's wrong? Bad conscience? Worried I might bite? Don't worry, I won't tell on you, and I only bite if people ask nicely." She winks.

Despite the 'reassurance', not running was definitely the right call. She is absolutely the sort of person who would give chase, and is likely to win the stamina contest between them.

It takes a moment, but finally then, Leon admits to what it is he's looking for. Or who, as the case may be. Niko's eyes briefly widen. And then she starts to laugh, boisterously. For a solid ten seconds straight before recovering, wiping a tear from her eye.

"Haaa... you're serious, aren't you? You think Takaya-sama's gonna be out on a sunny day like this? Gotta be a real special reason for him to do that. Try again at night." Not leaving room for even a short pause, she immediately moves on to introducing herself. "Niko Kirisaki. Call me Niko-chan! Everybody does!" she tells the usual lie.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Leon Saito has posed.
<poem>
Leon watches the newcomer and then tries to make himself even smaller as he pulls his arm into his body while she laughs at him. Leon can't look up any more, and if there was any question on the nature of Leon at the moment it is showing heavily now. This Takaya seeker is prey.

The laughter goes on and Leon tries to interupt and speak up but can't look up while he does, "But, he was here. I found him...when it was later in the day." Leon feels even more stupid as he talks and answers Niko." He looks about dejected, a whole day wasted, a risk of getting in trouble and most of his lunch money of the week spent on a ferry ticket.

Still Leon knows better then to not be polite, "Um I am Leon Saito, it is a pleasure to meet you Niko-chan." Leon stands up straight and gives a bow still never being able to meet Niko's eyes.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
In complete contrast to Leon, Niko is entirely laid-back and unconcerned, hands on the back of her head as she answers his weak protest. "Welp, must've been a special reason then, huh? If I had to guess, same reason I keep checking this place for any changes. Looks like the show's really over though, isn't it? Oh well, oh well."

At least it doesn't seem as if Leon is going to be in any major trouble, in so far as being around Niko isn't trouble by definition. Going along with her preferred mode of address certainly does wonders to keep her spirits high. "I know!" is her cheerful reply, meaning both his name and that it's a pleasure to meet her. "Nice to meetcha too, Leon-chan!" And obviously she's going to use that address in return.

Not meeting her eyes only gives her reason to duck her head low, actively seeking Leon's eyes out. "So, now that we're friends, why dontcha tell me what you need Takaya-sama for? I can pass along a message if you want. Or maybe I can help instead? C'mon, lay it on me."

</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Leon Saito has posed.
<poem>
Leon doesn't fight the eye contact, if it is what Niko wants then Leon will acquiese. Leon raises his head to help Niko meet his eyes and look at her but doesn't really speak.

That's not to say that he doesn't try, Leon opens his mouth and nothing comes out as his mind goes blank. Taking a moment Leon does try to remember why he was here when a rock hits him in the back of the head. Where did it come from is hard to say, maybe a bird dropped it but Leon looks much paler as he looks behind him and then back to Niko. For a moment the immediate area resonates with the supernatural before fading just as quickly.

"Um, my trial. The trial Takaya put me on. It's um, harder then I thought. I need his help...to um make it through to the other end." Leon says as he looks over his shoulder a few more times as if expecting more rocks.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
So much trouble with answering a simple question. Gotta be more to that than simple shyness or intimidation, Niko suspects. That's the sort of thing that holds her interest, something 'off' about a person that she can try to puzzle out.

And that interest grows considerably by a sudden rock out of nowhere. Nobody threw that from behind him, she could clearly see that much. She doesn't even consider the notion of a bird, especially after that brief moment of goosebumps. What must have drawn Takaya's interest instantly clicks for her. An unusual sensation like that...

She snaps out of her thoughts when Leon finally speaks. "A trial from Takaya-sama? I can only imagine what that might be. Dunno if it'd be good idea to ask for his help though, finding your own way through is kinda the point of a trial." She places a hand on her hip, raising her other arm in a half-shrug. "Buuut, asking me for help would show some creative initiative, wouldn't it? Or you could just not let him know I helped, won't say a word about it if you won't." She doesn't know what she's volunteering for, but it's not like it matters. She's up for anything interesting.

That said however, she's not one to just pretend nothing weird happened when it clearly did. Especially when it looks like Leon himself suspects the weirdness isn't over yet.

"Expecting to be hit again?" she just asks straight out, before leaning forward a little, far more curious than concerned. "You wouldn't happen to be cursed, would you, Leon-chan? You gotta tell me if you're cursed. Don't worry, I don't judge. We're all cursed in a way, just some a little more directly than others, y'know? It's fine. But you do gotta tell me." The way she talks, it's like she thinks this is the most normal thing in the world.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Leon Saito has posed.
<poem>
"Cursed?!" Leon squeaks out as he replies to the question and looks about as if speaking about it may make it worse. Leon's voice dies down to almost a whisper, "Um, yeah. Something like that." Leon's eyes flicker to something behind Niko, something that isn't there.

"Takaya said it was all a trial. That it was the start of my growth and if I get through it everything would be better. The curse would be over..." Leon trails off as he considers it. "I came here originally to be cleansed of my karma to free me from the curse." Leon remembers the day as he thinks about it again.

"Do you know any tricks for controlling curses Niko...chan?" Leon asks as he remembers to add the honorific as he wonders if this girl could really help him be free of the curse. If he could just get it back to where it was a few months ago, he could deal with it even.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Ah-hah... looks like her guess was right on the money. Though Niko is far from an expert on these things, she can do math well enough to put two and two together. Leon's behavior combined with that feeling and Takaya's interest in it, it had to be something along these lines. She nods sagely, like everything makes sense now.

"I see now, you might call that sort of thing a trial. Nobody asks or wants for these things to happen, but they do, and now you gotta deal with it, somehow. Karma, though..." She giggles, and shakes her head. "That's got nothing to do with it. Bad things happen to good people too, Leon-chan."

On the matter of tricks, she rubs her chin in thought. "Well first of all, when it's this sort of curse, forget about all the religious stuff. Bet you everything there's nothing going on that can be cleansed by any Shinto rituals. What you gotta do first is learn what it really is. Things are only scary as long as they're unknown. Once you know exactly what it is you're dealing with, it's already lost a lot of its power over you."

She blinks, and looks a little sheepish as her grin returns. "Well, that's how it was for me, anyway."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Leon Saito has posed.
<poem>
"Bad things happen to bad people too, Niko-chan." Leon says as he looks at the ground, it's not an accusation, it's as if it's just a statement of fact. Still it's not like Leon tuned out his new spiritual advisor, it probably helps that Niko was associated with Takaya, that alone seems to give her more credibility then maybe she even knows.

So the teen stands there contemplating Niko's words for a long moment before stating, "I know who...what, what it is. I've known for a long time." Looking at Niko for a moment he seems about to say more before he adds, "Um, so, um...what needs to be done if I already know what it is? "

Whatever IT is seems to take note of just how close Niko and Leon are getting and a malice seems to surround Leon. The type that would make people naturally want to take a step back and maybe just avoid the kid.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Niko just shrugs at Leon's assertion. "Point is, it's equally unfair either way. Maybe you deserved it, maybe you didn't. Doesn't matter to me, shouldn't matter to you." She could go on at length about what she believes the root cause is, but... one thing at a time. If Leon does overcome this trial, he'll probably be more receptive to seeing the truth, the way she sees it.

"...Do you now?" The pleasant tone in Niko's voice belies her skepticism, but it still shows plenty in her following words. "If you're so sure you've already completed the first step, why do you need me to tell you what to do next? Maybe you misunderstood - don't confuse 'knowing' for 'understanding'. Understanding its full, true nature is what'll allow you to find a way to fight back against it."

Niko isn't about to pretend she's understood what it is herself. What she can tell is when there's something pushing back against her. Doing that only ever provokes her to do the same. "...You know something interesting, though? Supernatural things attract other supernatural things. So I bet that whatever this thing is, all it can really do to you is just be kind of annoying. Anything bigger than that, and it may make itself more vulnerable than it would like."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Leon Saito has posed.
<poem>
Leon looks at Niko as she points out he knows nothing and, explains even more. It's all true and Leon knows it, he has no idea what it is, he has no idea why it is here, only guesses and assumptions. Leon doesn't really even understand the thing about the supernatural bit.

That doesn't mean Leon isn't jumping to conclusions with the last bit. "They attract more of each other? Am I going to get more curses?" Leon's pale skin grows paler, if that is even possible. The kid's breathing increases and it is a sign he is panicking regarding the situation. He can already only deal with one. Leon takes a step back and falls onto the grass with a thud as he sits there.

Leon rocks a little on the grass as he tries to process the idea of more then one curse. "I need to stop more from coming."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Niko can't help but laugh, seeing a reaction like that. She wasn't even trying to troll him, this guy's trolling himself with the way he thinks. Isn't that hilarious? She thinks it's pretty hilarious.

"You reeeeeally don't get this stuff," she states the obvious, before leaning over him to state what is less obvious, and not entirely based on knowing all this stuff for a fact. "Who's ever heard about curses teaming up and forming a happy family together? Maybe the best way to get rid of a curse would actually be with another curse, you don't know. That's the sorta thing you gotta find out. Unless you like being scared all the time."

She backs away afterwards, not actually offering him a hand up. That's what she's been saying - Leon has to learn to help himself. She'll offer suggestions, but even if she knew how, she's not going to solve the problem for him. It's doing him a favor, really. If he can't overcome this much, this world's gonna eat him alive one way or another.

"Can you meet Takaya-sama's expectations, I wonder...?" So saying, she makes a fingergun gesture in Leon's direction. "Good luck, Leon-chan. I'm rooting for you~" And, unless stopped, makes to wander off, humming a happy tune to herself.

</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 2]]

2026-05-29: Strega Does Mementos

2026-06-22T21:40:59Z

Fureasei: Created page with "*'''Log: Strega Does Mementos''' *'''Cast:''' Noriaki Okaga, Niko Kirisaki, Jin Shirato *'''Where:''' Mementos *'''OOC Date:''' May 29, 2026 *'''IC Date:''' November 16, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''Noriaki ropes Jin and Niko into a Mementos venture, which starts off all fun and games, but rapidly turns into something a bit more than they bargained for. At least the experience does make one thing abundantly clear: they may not be good people, but they look out for..."

*'''Log: Strega Does Mementos'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Noriaki Okaga]], [[Niko Kirisaki]], [[Jin Shirato]]
*'''Where:''' Mementos
*'''OOC Date:''' May 29, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' November 16, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Noriaki ropes Jin and Niko into a Mementos venture, which starts off all fun and games, but rapidly turns into something a bit more than they bargained for. At least the experience does make one thing abundantly clear: they may not be good people, but they look out for their own.''

----

MONAD: A party led by Noriaki Okaga has begun the event Mementos - Enter the Metaverse!.

(|================ Monad - Mementos - Enter the Metaverse! =================|)
-==== Round 1: Crush Hour - Challenge Level 1 ===============================-
| Approach Options: Guts or Proficiency |
| Conditions: Clumsy - Proficiency Down L1 and Scary - Guts Down L1 |
-==== Challenge =============================================================-

How did you get here? Was it through a mysterious app on your smartphone?
Was it testing the Mementos Rumor in a bathroom mirror? Or perhaps you
simply had the daring to pull a trigger in a train station.

Whatever the case may be, you're here now.

A sickening nausea in the pit of your stomach, as you see sinew and ichor
festooning signs that make no sense, turnstiles that mark the way down
escalators to the station below.

There's a train pulled in right now, and as several listless looking human
shadows step inside, the door slams shut, before pulling away at blinding
speed, vanishing into the devouring darkness ahead.

Persona Users who have been here may have been forewarned as to what will
happen next, as the moment the train pulls away

... the escalators are flooded with Shadows descending down to the platform,
a whole mob of them. You only have seconds to expertly navigate the throng-
before you are trampled underfoot, or crushed against the platform walls by
them.

Of course, you could always do something more daring to let them know to
give you a wide berth. They're Shadows of people

Do you field the risk of harming them?

(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Noriaki Okaga has posed.
<poem>
"Ever go crawling around Mementos?"

It had been a simple proposition, as these things go. Noriaki knows that Jin almost certainly has: he's learned the trick from the core three of them. It's just a question of whether Niko has.

In any case, getting there's very easy.

*BANG*

Darkness crawls around them in this sick parody of a subway system. There atop the platform, Noriaki bows, as overdramatic as any actor. "There, you see? Easy as that!"

He gestures towards the stairs. "Ain't gonna catch a train, though. We've gotta go down from here. That's where the real fun begins!"

Even if Niko is familiar, he still acts as if she isn't. Perhaps it's just fun for him, in some way...

The stairs down, though, are swarming with Shadows.

"Huh, lot of 'em," Noriaki remarks, rolling his shoulders experimentally. "Weren't that many the last time." He draws his machete, all two feet of dully-glinting chipped metal.

"Fun fact for ya, Ni-chan!" he calls, swinging that weapon towards the mob.

"These Shadows? They're ''people''!"
</poem>

MONAD: Noriaki Okaga has acted with Call of the Void toward Crush Hour! Bravery and Efficient!

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
It's generally easy to get Niko to come along on any given venture, so long as it sounds at all to her like it could be fun. And with her general definition of 'fun' being 'not boring', many things indeed can qualify. As for Mementos...

"Sure haven't!"

Niko's heard a few basic things about it, but she's never seen cause to venture into it herself before. And since it's new, it probably won't be boring.

The way into it is already interesting. To think that Evokers could have an effect in a normal space like that. In so far as any space truly counts as 'normal' in this world. So guns are keys now, why not. Niko gives Noriaki a series of tiny claps for his demonstration. "Very nice, very nice! Like pulling away a magician's cloth!" Just go with it.

Looking about, Niko hmmms to herself, taking the bizarre sight entirely in stride. "So this is the place, huh? I see, I see. Really does look like a subway station gone totally wrong, doesn't it?" Yet it's a bad idea to take a train, apparently. And so...

...The other way to go is blocked by a bunch of Shadows. Well. Not for long, it won't be. Anybody who thinks they can push Niko aside easily has another thing coming. She just barrels on ahead shouting, "Coming through!" That should be plenty of warning to give her some space. Anybody who doesn't listen, well, that's on them.

As Niko rushes into the crowd and starts shoving, then flat out tossing Shadows aside, Noriaki informs her of a 'fun fact'. "Really? You don't say. Not very smart people then, I ''said'' I was coming through. You all hard of hearing or something? Huh??"

Yeah, that's not really a reason to use less violence. People who don't listen deserve whatever they get.
</poem>

MONAD: Niko Kirisaki has acted with Just Smash It toward Crush Hour! Focus and Efficient!

<Pose Tracker> Jin Shirato has posed.
<poem>
Jin doesn't hesitate at the sight of the flood of Shadows pouring down the escalators. His lip curls in visible disgust.

"Pathetic," he says, and Jin Shirato sounds just as disgusted as he looks.

His hand disappears into his coat lazily, producing a grenade from his pocket. At first glance, it looks like one of his normal grenades -- but upon closer inspection, it's actually ''different''.

"They might not be fully human anymore, but they still have human instincts." Jin tosses the grenade skyward and catches it, then pulls the pin, letting it drop to the tiled station floor.

"Boom."

Jin doesn't throw the grenade; it's still in his hand. Whatever human instinct still lived inside the shadows repelled them away. They practically crawl over one another in a desperate attempt of escape, all wailing and moaning in their thick Shadow garble. They're all tangled together, making them an all-too-easy group target for Niko and Noriaki.

No explosion necessary. Didn't even have to lose any resources, either.

"Yeah, they're not very smart," Jin agrees. He leisurely bends down to pick up the pin and sticks it back in the grenade. It's a false one. That's probably why Jin made sure that this grenade looked different from his usual ones.

"Why don't you two finish them?"
</poem>

MONAD: Jin Shirato has acted with Business Talk toward Crush Hour! Diligent and Friendly!

(|============================ Monad - Results =============================|)
-==== Crush Hour - Round 1 ==================================================-
Jin Shirato Proficiency Success
Business Talk Diligent and Friendly Fatigue: 0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Niko Kirisaki Guts Success
Just Smash It Focus and Efficient Fatigue: 0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Noriaki Okaga Guts Success
Call of the Void Bravery and Efficient Fatigue: 0
-============================ Party Conditions: =============================-
Starting Conditions: Clumsy-2 and Scary-2
Final Conditions: Clumsy-1 and Scary-1
-====================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====-
-==== Reach: 1/6 |= | ===================================================-
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Noriaki Okaga has posed.
<poem>
He even gives a little flourish, swirling his hand around as if Niko's apparent delight in his theatrics were egging him on. He always does love an audience. Behind Noriaki, a train full of shadowy figures plows on into who-knows-where, vanishing almost as quickly as it had come into the crawling pulsed nightmare of Mementos.

He laughs, at Niko's summary. "Heh, sure does! Suits me just fine..."

But to go on, they have to go forward. There are no true fatalities among the Shadows as they're laid out, either by being in the wrong place at the wrong time and meeting Noriaki's blade, by failing to get out of Niko's way and being struck, or repelled by that 'grenade' that Jin threatens to loose into the mob.

"Haha, sure ain't!" he agrees with Jin, strolling on without a single glance backwards.

Killing a regular wandering Shadow doesn't seem to be anything. But the outlines of people, now, that's something else. It's just that to kill them proper, it takes a little more than just this.

In Noriaki's experience, anyway.

"Ain't sure what's up about this place," he remarks, as they all continue on. "What it is, or what it means. But it's got a connection to the people in the world." He turns, spreading his arms out as he regards the two of them.

"Find the right person, take out their Shadow here, properly, and..."

He looks at Jin, grinning at him from under his hood. "You know what happens, right? It's pretty interesting!"

He's even used it sometimes when fulfilling one of their 'requests' proves too complicated to do in the Dark Hour.
</poem>

MONAD: Niko Kirisaki has drawn a new Challenge!

(|================ Monad - Mementos - Enter the Metaverse! =================|)
-==== Round 2: Manic Pixie Dream Horde!? - Challenge Level 1 ================-
| Approach Options: Charm or Guts |
| Conditions: Annoying - Charm Down L2, Clumsy - Proficiency Down L1, and |
| Scary - Guts Down L1 |
-==== Challenge =============================================================-

A plodding bulbous behemoth bursts out of the dark, the eyeholes of various
masks glittering. And upon striking you-!

It unravels, as if so many shadows were stitched together, the masks each
forming several distinct Shadows, they're-! They're!

A horde of pixies. As the violence begins, it's not too long before-

"Hey whoa! We surrender!"

"Do you feel big, bullying poor helpless little girls?"

Poor helpless little girls with access to Zio, that is.

"Why don't you just let us go, 'kay? We pretend this didn't even happen."

Hey wait a second, they attacked you! Should you really let them off that
easy? Maybe you want information, or a reward-

But you're gonna have to negotiate for that.

(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
So far, this is plenty fun for Niko. A little expedition among friends, with some trouble along the way she can use as an outlet for her frustrations. Who cares that it's all bizarre-looking?

She laughs at Jin tricking the Shadows into believing that grenade was the real thing. So stupid, indeed. Now, didn't she hear about this trick once before? Maybe it was actually Jin who told her about it. What was it again...

As Noriaki expounds on it further, she slams a fist down upon her palm. "Oh, right, I know! It's, what's the word, 'cognition', right? What's important in here? As long as they think it's real it'll be real to them, that sorta thing?"

As all over the place as Niko tends to be with her thoughts, it's not like she doesn't remember things she was told once, a good while ago. Even if she didn't appear to be paying much attention at the time. Nodding to herself, she continues, "Seems legit. Not very different from out there, really. People see things and they just accept it, gotta be real! Seeing is believing, my ass. At least think about how much sense it makes first, geez."

That last part though... take out people's Shadows here and what, what happens!? She looks from Noriaki to Jin and back again, then pouts. "What, what's interesting? I wanna know, tell me!"

But whoops, wasted a little bit too much time talking, now there's a random encounter - a bunch of pixies form out of a shadowy amalgam and start a magical Zio assault! ...Which does very little to Niko and her Elec resistance. "All that buildup and that's it? My turn!" A short battle later...

'"Hey whoa! We surrender!"'
'"Do you feel big, bullying poor helpless little girls?"'

Niko shrugs. "Y'know, I ask people the same thing, and they're never sorry for picking on me. Isn't it the worst? It's the worst, isn't it?" Look how helpless she is! Yeah she pummeled those Pixies for a bit, but they started it. And given that, she doesn't look impressed by the following request to let them go. Even if her tone remains friendly.

"Oh really? Awfully nice that you're willing to let bygones be bygones." She casually folds her arms behind her head. "Well then, since we're all friends now, how about you help us out? Give us something nice maybe?" She turns her head to her fellow Strega members. "You guys got anything in mind?"
</poem>

MONAD: Niko Kirisaki has acted with Happy-Go-Lucky toward Manic Pixie Dream Horde!?! Friendliness and Patra!

<Pose Tracker> Jin Shirato has posed.
<poem>
Jin raises an eyebrow at Noriaki's words. "Yeah," he says cooly, eyeing him. "Did Takaya tell you? Or did somebody else?" If someone else told him, Jin was very interested in knowing _who_. It wasn't exactly common knowledge. Not even Niko knew.

Unfortunately, their little Shadow conversation is interrupted by a platoon of pixies. Jin's grip is tight on the handle of his metal suitcase. He's about to slam it directly into the group of them, but his arm only gets halfway up before Niko chirps away at the pixies.

Jin lets out a resigned sigh and lowers his arm. He supposes there's nothing wrong with letting Niko handle it her way. At least at moments like these where the stakes aren't very high.

Jin pushes his glasses up his nose with his middle finger. "I don't trust anyone else with my weapons," he says. So weapons -- at least for him -- are a no-go. "Information _could_ be helpful, but I'm not sure there's anything you know that I don't know already."
</poem>

MONAD: Jin Shirato has acted with Guts toward Manic Pixie Dream Horde!?! Base!

<Pose Tracker> Noriaki Okaga has posed.
<poem>
"Something like that," he tells Niko, shrugging expansively. At least he secured his machete before doing ''that''. "Most Shadows down here... eh, they're a little different from the ones you run into in the Dark Hour." He flashes her a toothy grin. "You'll see! Won't be long now. But those Shadows up there? They're people! Or, at least some of 'em are. I ain't," and he shrugs again, "done any ''experimenting''. You find the right one and do it in, though..."

He jerks his head towards Jin. Just barely, his eyes can be seen under the rise of his hood. "Maybe. Or maybe I did a little testin' of my own." Insouciant, he shrugs. "Pretty useful stuff, but you ain't gonna find just anybody down here... and it ain't easy to find the right person to start..."

His gaze sweeps ahead of him, towards the expanse of Mementos.

"And o'course, you also gotta deal with the,"

WANDERING SHADOW

"Tch. Bad timing. Well, c'mon! I ain't here to fuck around, kids!"

In short order, they make an example of the horde of Pixies, which promptly beg for mercy upon their surrender.

"Bullying? Heh," he says, spreading his hands before him, "That's a good one! Gonna plead innocent, are ya? I oughta pluck your wings off, for getting in my way!" But he turns his head towards Niko and Jin alike.

"...But maybe I'm feeling merciful, if you brats are feeling cooperative."
</poem>

MONAD: Noriaki Okaga has acted with Guts toward Manic Pixie Dream Horde!?! Base!

(|============================ Monad - Results =============================|)
-==== Manic Pixie Dream Horde!? - Round 2 ===================================-
Jin Shirato Guts Success
Guts Base Fatigue: 0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Niko Kirisaki Charm Success
Happy-Go-Lucky Friendliness and Patra Fatigue: 0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Noriaki Okaga Guts Success
Guts Base Fatigue: 0
-============================ Party Conditions: =============================-
Starting Conditions: Annoying-2, Clumsy-1, and Scary-1
Final Conditions:
-====================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====-
-==== Reach: 2/6 |== | ===================================================-
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Whatever 'experimenting' Noriaki has done, it isn't telling Niko anything about what the deal is here. And when Jin's being this secretive about it, it's probably something really big, too. It's frustrating not being in the loop, and she'd surely have said something more about it, if it hadn't been for that sudden random encounter. Just as well though, gives her a new outlet for those new frustrations. Things have a way of working out like that.

With Jin and Noriaki in no mood to play very nice about this, that leaves the resolution to Niko, who nods a few times in response to their words. "Right right, that makes sense. You see, Jin here knows pretty much everything, and his weapons are of the highest quality. And Noriaki here, he don't care about nothing, he'd slit his mama's throat for a nickel. Which meeeeans..."

With a grin, Niko leans forward, lowering her voice conspiratorily, even though it's still really easy for anyone nearby to hear what she's saying. "I'm the only one here interested in being your friend. Sooo... looks like it's me you gotta win over, if you wanna leave on friendly terms. Lucky for you, I know just the way you can do that!"

Shortly after, Niko waves the fleeing Pixies off before turning to her fellows, idly tossing up and catching one of the several 100 yen coins she newly acquired. Not exactly a large amount of money, but hey, money is money. "See? It's like I keep saying. It's nice to be friends, isn't it~?"
</poem>

MONAD: Jin Shirato has drawn a new Challenge!

(|================ Monad - Mementos - Enter the Metaverse! =================|)
-==== Round 3: Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark - Challenge Level 2 ========-
| Approach Options: Academics or Guts |
| Conditions: Curse - -1 to Group Roll (Per Character), Stupor - Academics |
| Down L1, and Terrifying - Guts Down L2 |
-==== Challenge =============================================================-

It's very dark on this floor.

Too dark.

Before long, one hears the heart pounding sound of chains rattling in the
dark.

RUN!

You must run, your resonance tells you that if you don't, something awful
will happen.

Find your way down, or back up - or else.

Do you try to figure out where to go quickly based on where you've already
been, or do you charge blindly ahead into the dark, in the hopes of making
it out of here alive.

(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Jin Shirato has posed.
<poem>
"Doesn't matter," Jin says cooly. But it _does_ in fact matter and Jin is annoyed that he can't get a straight answer out of Noriaki.

Then to Niko: "You're buying us drinks after we get out of here."

Jin _might_ be sulking a little bit as they continue to navigate the subway. As they do, the tunnels grow darker and quieter. Unease fills Jin as something menacing practically radiates off the wall.

And then he hears it.

Clank. Rattle. Clank.

The hairs on his arms rise and Jin blindly snatches the arms of his two fellow Strega members and yanks them after him. It's an unexpectedly hurried and careless move for someone who prides themselves on being so calculated. But they don't have time for Jin's usual practiced movements.

"We gotta move! We do _not_ want that thing finding us!"

Once he's confident they're properly motivated to move of their own volition, Jin lets his grip on them go. His tactics today? Listen to that sound and run like hell _away_ from it.
</poem>

MONAD: Jin Shirato has acted with Guts toward Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark! Base!

<Pose Tracker> Noriaki Okaga has posed.
<poem>
Noriaki mugs menacingly, more than happy to play the part. ...Is that playing? It's probably fine.

But in the end, the outcome seems pleasant enough: they get some money, and the Pixie Horde gets to live another day.

"Right," he says, seemingly ignorant of Jin's frustration his way. This may just be the way most people experience Noriaki's presence in their lives. "Look lively, now! We ain't here to just horse around," he says, clapping his hands together as it grows dark.

Very, very dark.

There's a clank and a rattle of chains. Noriaki goes stiff as a board. "Feels like someone just walked 'cross my--"

Dread settles into the pit of his stomach even as Jin grabs at his arm.

"Ain't gotta-- say that again!" he shouts back, breaking into a run himself.

Hie, hie, into the dark and all its unknown dangers...! 'Tis a better thing, than what awaits them behind.

Noriaki runs, and cares not what awaits him ahead.
</poem>

MONAD: Noriaki Okaga has acted with Call of the Void toward Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark! Bravery and Efficient!

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
"It definitely matters," Niko translates the Jin-speak without being asked. You're welcome, Jin. But then, such things should be expected when Niko doesn't get her way. Don't you know? She should be told things, all of the things, forever.

Aaand Jin gets her right back with the demand for drinks. "Aw, man! That'll take like, all of this I just got!" She makes a noise in protest, but that's ultimately the only protest as she throws her hands up in surrender. "Fine, fine. I ''guess'' that's fair. But whatever else I find today, finder's keepers, calling it now."

Not long after, darkness falls, in a very unnatural way. Niko just kind of looks about, guilelessly. "What's wrong with the lights over here? Didn't figure this place would have to deal with electrical probleeee--"

She didn't even get to finish her sentence before Jin suddenly grabs hold of her and starts to run. She'd be lying if she claimed she didn't have a bad feeling just now, but even she's struck silent by that hurried, impulsive move, that's not like him at all. Could he actually be... afraid? ...Haha, as if. Not a question she should ask aloud, regardless.

Once she's mentally caught up enough to run on her own, she asks instead, "So uhhh... you have any idea what we're running from, exactly? Sounds like someone I could along with, if they're rocking chains." She's got those wrapped around her waist too, jingling as she runs, far less ominously than the ones behind them.

"Chains're a thing that binds people together, y'know? Literally even." What is she babbling about at a time like this?? At least she's in good physical shape, she can babble perfectly fine while still keeping pace with Jin, no problem.
</poem>

MONAD: Niko Kirisaki has acted with Guts toward Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark! Base!

(|============================ Monad - Results =============================|)
-==== Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark - Round 3 ===========================-
Jin Shirato Guts Failure
Guts Base Fatigue: 1
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Niko Kirisaki Guts Success
Guts Base Fatigue: 0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Noriaki Okaga Guts Success
Call of the Void Bravery and Efficient Fatigue: 0
-============================ Party Conditions: =============================-
Starting Conditions: Curse-0, Stupor-2, and Terrifying-2
Final Conditions: Stupor-1 and Terrifying-1
-================================================= Party Result: Failure ====-
-==== Reach: 2/6 |== | ===================================================-
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Jin Shirato has posed.
<poem>
Jin isn't particularly athletic; he spends most of his time indoors at his computer and most of the time, he's not running away from danger -- he's the one causing it. While his fellow Strega-members aren't winded at all, he's panting breathlessly. His feet get tangled up and he stumbles to the ground.

"D-Dammit," Jin says through gritted teeth, pushing himself up.

...at least the sound of chains isn't as pronounced now?
</poem>

MONAD: Noriaki Okaga has drawn a new Challenge!

(|================ Monad - Mementos - Enter the Metaverse! =================|)
-==== Round 4: IS THAT THE GRIM REAPERRRRRR? - Challenge Level 4 ============-
| Approach Options: Proficiency or Guts |
| Conditions: Curse - -1 to Group Roll (Per Character), Ineptitude - |
| Proficiency Down L2, Reaper - Add 1 Fatigue., Stupor - Academics Down L1, |
| Terrifying - Guts Down L2, and Terrifying - Guts Down L2 |
-==== Challenge =============================================================-

Despite your best efforts, it caught up to you. And now you see it. An
enormous figure, towering, chains encircling its torso in a continuous
orbiting ouroboros, its face hidden by a hooded mask, each hand sporting a
long-barreled revolver of antique make.

IS THAT THE GRIM REAPER!?

Yes, yes it is.

Survive. It's recommended that you try to escape as soon as possible, though
it will do your best to prevent that.

OOC Note: There are no circumstances under which the party defeats the
Reaper at this time. Success is represented by running and surviving the
encounter.

(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Noriaki Okaga has posed.
<poem>
"Hey," says Noriaki, reaching down a hand to Jin. His expression's gone serious, just like that. "Hanging in there?"

They're not close in the way that Jin, Chidori, and Takaya all are. They might have all suffered thanks to Kirijo, but until the day those three saved his sorry ass, he didn't know them at all. But they'd rescued him when he was at his lowest, and given him a place to live. And that's more than most people have done for him in his sorry life.

Noriaki isn't a good person. He's not even a particularly loyal person. But even a mean dog knows who kicks him and who pets him.

There's silence, for that one long moment.

It's still by far too short.

Something swoops out of the darkness, chains rattling, and a bullet fires off into their merry little band with a horrible crack. No one is hit...

...yet.

"Shit," growls Noriaki, letting go of Jin's hand. "Shit, shit... I ain't dyin' now! Not like this...! Piece of shit--! Hey! Shirato! Ni-chan!"

He gestures back, over one shoulder with his hand. "Gotta go!"

But of course, as he quickly finds, running's not so easy. A pitch-black missile of a bullet cracks into the floor too close to where one battered sneaker-clad shoe falls; Noriaki whirls about to find that the ''GRIM REAPER'' is dead-set on preventing an easy escape.

"Fuckin'," he spits out, tugging down his hood. He takes a step back. With both hands, he seems to try to 'frame' the entity between them, like he was preparing for a photograph. Then, as quickly as he can, he goes for his Evoker.

"EFNYSIEN!"

His cauldron-dwelling Persona draws back its rocking-horse flail and whirls it about overhead. It bursts into flames as he hurls its end like a meteor for a particular point on the Grim Reaper. This thing'll kill him if he doesn't get out of here, but if he doesn't try and stun it, or something, he's ''not going be able to run'' either.
</poem>

MONAD: Noriaki Okaga has acted with Frame the Shot toward IS THAT THE GRIM REAPERRRRRR?! Diligence and Patra!

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
As casual as Niko appeared to be under the circumstances, visible concern is all too quick to appear when Jin stumbles, and she halts immediately. "Jin-chan!"

...That was a slip. She tries to at least not call him that when others are around, especially those likely to give him a hard time over it. But she couldn't help it in the moment, it's the natural thing to call him!

But the current moment in time doesn't lend itself to making fun of each other. It might have been a little heartwarming, even. Had the Reaper not decided to mess it all up, with a bullet striking the ground in their midst.

"Shit!" she echoes Noriaki. Gotta go, he says, which sounds all well and good... but what about Jin? He already collapsed just now, is he really going to be able to escape this thing? Even if the Reaper had been inclined to give them a head start, she's not so sure. And that... leaves only one choice, doesn't it?

"...Hell no."

Niko unwraps the chain from her waist, heavy steel dropping to the floor with a dull thud. Her eyes narrow as she faces the threat our for their lives.

"You think I'm afraid of you?!"

She is. She's terrified. But what's even scarier is the thought of losing one of the few people in this world who gives a damn about her. ...Another one, perhaps. Even if she could never be sure how much Sudou ever truly cared, his presence was an important anchor for her. Faced with the possibility of losing another, there's only one choice she can make.

"PERSONA!"

With a shot from her Evoker, Ate is summoned, the giant stone-faced head launching a furious volley of Psi attacks, while Niko herself lashes out with the special carbon steel chain that Jin had previously arranged for her. "You like chains so much, see how you like this one!"

A psychic assault, as well as a physical one. Victory may be a doomed proposition, but if there is anything that can make this thing flinch, buy them a little time... given the slightest opening, she'll be ready to run, and help Jin along this time.
</poem>

MONAD: Niko Kirisaki has acted with Just Smash It toward IS THAT THE GRIM REAPERRRRRR?! Focus and Efficient!

<Pose Tracker> Jin Shirato has posed.
<poem>
A rush of gratitude floods Jin as Noriaki helps him to his feet and Niko stops entirely, just to make sure he's okay. It's an unfamiliar concept to Jin, who rarely feels the need to be grateful for anybody. But when the two of them don't gun it and leave him behind to meet the Grim Reaper, he feels a real sense of connection with the both of them.

"Thanks. I'm fine."

But that feeling quickly passes as the Grim Reaper descends upon them.

Shitshitshitshitshit.

There's no way they're going to be able to defeat this thing. You didn't have to have Jin's intellect to know this was a serious threat. But for now he follows the lead of the rest of his team. He unlatches his briefcase and hurls smoke grenade after smoke grenade in its direction. With any luck, Niko and Noriaki might have staggered it -- and Jin may have bought them some cover to escape.
</poem>

MONAD: Jin Shirato has acted with Proficiency toward IS THAT THE GRIM REAPERRRRRR?! Base!

(|============================ Monad - Results =============================|)
-==== IS THAT THE GRIM REAPERRRRRR? - Round 4 ===============================-
Jin Shirato Proficiency Success
Proficiency Base Fatigue: 2
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Niko Kirisaki Guts Failure
Just Smash It Focus and Efficient Fatigue: 2
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Noriaki Okaga Proficiency Success
Frame the Shot Diligence and Patra Fatigue: 1
-============================ Party Conditions: =============================-
Starting Conditions: Curse-0, Ineptitude-2, Reaper-0, Stupor-1,
Terrifying-1, and Terrifying-2
Final Conditions: Terrifying-1
-================================================= Party Result: Failure ====-
-==== Reach: 2/6 |== | ===================================================-
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Noriaki Okaga has posed.
<poem>
They spit their defiance at the Reaper, trying their best to force an opening, to carve their escape. Winning isn't possible, but surely, they can still stun it long enough to escape?

As it happens, yes, but not without first the Grim Reaper taking its pound of flesh. Noriaki leans against the wall heavily once they finally, ''finally'' slip the thing's reach.

He stays like that for a long moment, his injured arm cradled against his stomach, listening for anything that could betray their assailant's continued approach.

Finally, he peels himself away and shakes his head. "Think we lost 'em," he says. "Shit. Ain't run into that that shit before..."

He glances at the both of them, his grey eyes betraying his own momentary uncertainity about what they'd all just faced and escaped. Noriaki reaches back to at last to tug his hood back up.

"C'mon. Gonna take more'n that to do me in!" He waves a bloodied hand broadly, overhead.
</poem>

MONAD: Niko Kirisaki has drawn a new Challenge!

(|================ Monad - Mementos - Enter the Metaverse! =================|)
-==== Round 5: Victim Blaming - Challenge Level 2 ===========================-
| Approach Options: Understanding or Guts |
| Conditions: Boss - Add 1 Fatigue on failure., Stony - Understanding Down |
| L2, Terrifying - Guts Down L2, and Terrifying - Guts Down L2 |
-==== Challenge =============================================================-

You reach the subway platform! Ahead of you is a towering slab of black
stone, with red engravings etched into it, blocking the path deeper.

Unfortunately there's a Shadow here too.

The man's distortion warps the stagnant air around it, as it stands there,
obsessively mumbling to himself.

"Damn bitch. She wouldn't listen to me that's why I had to do it."

Is he talking about a murder in reality!?

But the man's Shadow looks up at your group, and his face turns into an
angry grimace.

"You're here to judge me!? ME? You're all the same - everyone of you
thinking useless trash like her is the victim."

You don't have long before he's going to transform - you can feel it in the
air, but you don't have much further to go either.

Maybe you can keep him calm long enough before he transforms into:
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/megamitensei/images/c/c4/SMT_III_Oni_Compr
essed.png

Assuming, you want to. Many may not even desire to try and would prefer to
charge right in. Distracting him is of course an option!

OOC Note: This is not a target known to the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, and
thus would not have a calling card sent to him at this time. Killing him is
possible, if you're that persuasion of character, otherwise you'll have to
subdue him.

(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Well. Those guns clearly weren't just for show. But Niko will take a bloodied shoulder over feeling more alone in this world. Running at the first sign of an opening, she uses her good hand to grab Jin's and pull him along this time, urging, "Go, just go!" They can worry about injuries once they've gotten a good amount of distance covered.

It takes a long sprint to reach the stairs down, but it seems the Reaper is ill inclined to follow to the subway platform the group finds themselves at. Niko isn't about to question it, grimacing as she grips her right shoulder tightly. "Fuck, it really hurts," she finally takes the time to complain. That was a lot more than she expected on this venture, she'll have to come better prepared if there's a next time.

As if to add insult to injury, another voice up ahead spouts vulgarities about someone who wouldn't listen so he 'had to do it'. Doesn't sound very open to interpretation to Niko. And it isn't doing any good for her mood right now.

"Look, you. I have had. A very. Bad. Day. Alright? You don't wanna be talking any shit around me right now. So here's the deal. You fuck off right now, and you won't be having an even worse day. Got it?"

Arguing with Niko is usually enough of a recipe for disaster as it is. But arguing with a Niko who is in no mood to be friendly is an especially bad proposition. When the Shadow continues to rant and rave about being judged, and how everyone takes 'her' side, she has quickly had enough.

"You think I give a shit? If you want me to pretend you're not trash yourself, or any of that even matters, you caught me on the wrong day. Get outta my face."

Niko isn't going to be de-escalating this one, clearly. She's also not in much of a mood to fight, but she absolutely will summon her Persona to do just that in the likely event that the Shadow transforms.
</poem>

MONAD: Niko Kirisaki has acted with Just Smash It toward Victim Blaming! Focus and Efficient!

<Pose Tracker> Jin Shirato has posed.
<poem>
Jin is exhausted. His knee is busted and he's limping. And he's completely out-of-breath. He'd almost be ashamed to show this level of weakness, even among the other members of Strega, if he weren't too tired to care.

"Yeah, you do _not_ want to run into 'em if you can help it," Jin manages between pants. That, Jin knows from experience. And it was part of the reason why he was so frazzled earlier when he heard the oh-so-familiar sound of those chains. "Once we get back, Chidori should be able to get us back to full health, so let's just try to make it out of here in one piece."

Chidori's healing could do a lot of this, but it could not raise any of them back from the dead. As far as Jin knows.

But there's one last obstacle in their way. And Niko could have practically taken the words straight from Jin's mouth.

"I don't really care who you are or what you did, but if you're going to stop us from getting out of here, we're going to have a _real_ problem."

How big of a problem?

Jin casually tosses a grenade up and then catches it. Just in case he didn't catch it the first time, he does it again. If the man didn't get the jist of it before, he probably has a pretty good idea of the answer now.

A pretty big one.
</poem>

MONAD: Jin Shirato has acted with Guts toward Victim Blaming! Base!

<Pose Tracker> Noriaki Okaga has posed.
<poem>
So much for a little field trip. They're roughed up enough that running into a strong Shadow could be dangerous, assuming the Reaper doesn't just catch up to them again!

"Tch. Next time, we should take Yoshino," he says as they tread along, as if in partial agreement with Jin. "Or get our hands on some cards, or somethin'. We didn't get too deep, though. Stairs should be right ahead, and then we're home free..."

Some medicine'd be a good idea too, he considers, keeping a sharp look out as they move along.

There's trouble ahead. And of all the things that could bar their path, it's...

"Well, well..."

His head moves as if tracking the Shadow.

"See that? ...That's a person," he says, that smile of his inching its way back onto his face. He indicates towards Niko with a tilt of his head. "If something unfortunate happened to this bastard, heh..." He gestures towards the Shadow. "Interesting to think about! ...Too bad we ain't exactly in the right shape to try it out."

He gestures at the Shadow again, more dismissively than before. "Consider yourself lucky! I ain't got time for a demonstration. Now, get outta here!"
</poem>

MONAD: Noriaki Okaga has acted with Guts toward Victim Blaming! Base!

(|============================ Monad - Results =============================|)
-==== Victim Blaming - Round 5 ==============================================-
Jin Shirato Guts Success
Guts Base Fatigue: 2
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Niko Kirisaki Guts Success
Just Smash It Focus and Efficient Fatigue: 2
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Noriaki Okaga Guts Failure
Guts Base Fatigue: 3
-============================ Party Conditions: =============================-
Starting Conditions: Boss-0, Stony-2, Terrifying-1, and Terrifying-2
Final Conditions: Stony-1 and Terrifying-1
-====================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====-
-==== Reach: 4/6 |==== | ===================================================-
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

(|================ Monad - Mementos - Enter the Metaverse! =================|)
-==== Round 6: Cruel and Unusual Punishment? - Challenge Level 1 ============-
| Approach Options: None |
| Conditions: Revelation - The best result. |
-==== Challenge =============================================================-

You passed by that wall before, now you check it again.

Knock Knock.
Knock knock.

As the hollow echo greets you, it only takes a miniscule application of
force before the wall comes down.

The room is full of chests, and no Shadows, jackpot!

>You gain 20000 yen!
>You gain a Black Kogatana!

Wait what's that? Curious Well, you'd best hold onto it.

The next time one visits the Velvet Room or the Time Castle, they indicate
with enough Tarot Cards, they can place the essence of a Persona within it.

OOC Note: You have learned of an option of what to do with Tarot Cards for
non-Wild Cards. Keep track of the Tarot Cards all of you earn throughout
Monads!

(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Reasoning with a Shadow can be difficult at the best of times, inflexible as they tend to be in their convictions. A violent confrontation is typically inevitable if you want them to change their position even a little bit.

But what if that's not what you want? What if you just entirely don't give a shit, and make it clear you're ready to become a considerable problem for the Shadow's continued existence? Trash talk that remains unrelated to the central matter on its mind, how will that go over?

"Y-you think you can intimidate me?" The hitch in the Shadow's voice already makes it clear that yes, you definitely can, and probably already have. Maybe Niko's words by themselves wouldn't have been enough, but the Shadow's golden eyes widen considerably at the sight of ''grenades''. "Wh-wha...? B-be careful with those, are you insane?!"

With Noriaki completing the implied threat, the Shadow's previously menacing aura seems to subside, self-preservation instinct winning out as the man nervously tugs at his collar. "Y-you really don't care, do you? Then, uh, I... I'll just be on my way. Yeah... e-excuse me!"

Niko lets out a tired breath as the Shadow retreats. "Good riddance. Can we leave now?" And leave they can... through a room full of treasure no less. THAT brings back at least some of Niko's cheer, who is quick to go, "Finder's keepers, finder's keepers, I called it!"

Though she won't make a big fuss about sharing, in the end... as long as there's a decent enough amount left in it for her. Gotta compensate for lack of fun with something, right?
</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 2]]

2026-05-07: Hot Messes

2026-05-09T12:38:15Z

Fureasei: typo pass~

*'''Log: 2026-05-07 Hot Messes'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Yanagi Nagisa]], [[Niko Kirisaki]]
*'''Where:''' Double Slash, Aoba Way, Sumaru City
*'''OOC Date:''' May 07, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' Monday, November 05, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''While in the area to observe the ongoing situation with the cultists in Aoba Park, Yanagi and Niko run into each other again and have a friendly conversation that quickly turns deep.''

----

<Pose Tracker> Yanagi Nagisa has posed.
<poem>
One would think that a place full of delicate electronics would not also be a place where you could get not just drinks but also full meals.

*slurrrrrp~*

One would be wrong.

Yanagi Nagisa, when she comes to Sumaru, usually sticks to Hirasaka thanks to that being where Mr. Tomi is. However, with the cultists gathering in Aoba Park, she's recently been hanging out in Aoba too. Double Slash is an internet cafe, and she isn't ''that'' interested in computers, but it ''does'' have an aquarium that takes up an entire wall, and it's mesmerizing and soothing to look at.

So Yanagi is doing precisely that... while having a big old plate of spaghetti with a side of milk tea. Her lacy dress of marine patterns remains pristine thanks to Yanagi having had made a drape of napkins to serve as a bib, but her face is a mess, and she clearly doesn't care.

Who put this on the menu?? The clerk in the back, a checked-out-looking teen boy, doesn't seem to care either way either.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
While most commonly found hanging about in the more sketchy areas of Port Island, Niko Kirisaki is one who likes to get around, keep herself occupied in one way or another. Any particular Happenings Of Interest may draw her attention, as long as it's fun, a word she has a very broad definition for.

The internet ''can'' fix the definition, if you know where to look. Jin is obviously the bigger nerd, with his own rig and everything. Niko, if she needs a bigger screen than the one on her phone, will pop into places like this from time to time. Regularly enough for the dude looking after things here to somehow, impossibly, look even more tired, when in comes the pink-haired street punk, headed straight over to the counter. She flashes a bright smile as she aims fingerguns in the other teen's direction.

"Yo, what's-your-face! Coffee and one of your fancy sandwiches please~"

And sometimes it's just this, her coming in for a snack in between other activities... which currently include keeping an eye on those zombie people out there. They're not doing much of anything now, but as was proven a few days ago, that could rapidly change, and has been deemed Decently Of Interest on the Niko Scale, patent pending.

She's dressed differently from before, now in her more common mostly black ensemble of a crop top, shorts, an open mini-jacket, sneakers, and a length of steel chain worn as if it were a belt. None are in particularly good condition, and if it were ever a fitting choice, this isn't really the right time of year for it. Maybe the point is show off her strikingly muscular physique, it certainly looks like that might be by design.

It doesn't take her very long to notice a familiar face nearby, messy though it might be. "Oh hey, it's--" The lady who's name she never ended up getting. But she'll wave as if they've known each other forever anyway. "--you! Didn't expect to see you again so soon. Live around here or somethin'?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Yanagi Nagisa has posed.
<poem>
Decently Of Interest on Yanagi Scale at that! It's very similar to the Niko Scale, save that something doesn't need to be fun--broadly defined or not--for her to want to experience it.

''All'' things are worth experiencing, good and bad. When you're doomed to die young, and you've already endured plenty of suffering, why hold yourself back?

She does look up, blinking wide lead-gray eyes, when Niko enters and orders. Her outfit isn't as eye-catching as before--not when it's all black like that--but she too has casual days. The chain belt is a cool look. Yanagi likes it.

When Niko notices her, she smiles a bright, spaghetti sauce-red smile and waves right back. "Niko~! I thought I might see ''you''. You and your friends seemed very interested in that cult over in the park!" she replies. Twirling a fork in her spaghetti without looking, she continues, "I don't, but I'm very curious to see what happens with that cult to. So here I am! Would you like to come sit next to me?"

There aren't tables per se, but the computers are right next to each other, so that much is easy enough.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Niko would have to deny there's much similarity on those scales, hers certainly don't include any bad things. She's trying to take her mind OFF the bad things life is full of! She for one will definitely not be looking for the kind of poor excuses for candy Yanagi was snacking on before.

What ''hasn't'' changed from last time at all are Niko's accessories. Those are always the same, all the time. She did figure out what gave away her name before, tracing back the thought pattern 'makes fancy accessories' -> 'probably paid a lot of attention to accessories'. "That's my name~", she says happily, because she normally has to go through more effort for people to default to her preferred first name basis.

"Ehhh," she says with a handwobble, on the level of interest involved. "Would've been more interesting if they knew what they were talking about, but I'm starting to think maybe they don't really? Or it's something else than I thought it was, whichever." Gotta match her expectations entirely for her to not be a little disappointed. But what can she say, she's an optimist. "Still, yeah, curious, me too!"

Upon receiving her order, Niko is quick to accept the offer, making her way to Yanagi's... non-table, and taking the seat next to it. "Didn't get to chat a whole lot before, did we? All I know is you make fancy accessories and eat weird maybe-candy, I don't even know your name!"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Yanagi Nagisa has posed.
<poem>
It would be strange to Yanagi if Niko had been unable to figure it out. She sees that Niko is indeed wearing the same accessories. The same is not true for Yanagi herself; although she's wearing hair clips, these ones are silver and aquamarine to match her dress, and the rest of her accessories include a mother-of-pearl cameo choker and matching anklets.

Niko's happy response to her name gets a music note from Yanagi. Most people are upset about her instant first-name-yobisute, but are too polite to protest. It's rare to meet someone who's happy about it!

"Hmm? What did you think it was?" Yanagi wonders, eyes blinking wide. She soon smiles, though, as Niko takes her up on her offer. "We didn't! I'm glad we were able to meet again--you and your friends seem interesting too!"

She indicates herself with a slim hand of long, delicate fingers with pearlescent nail polish. Looking at her face, she's got similar make-up applied with a light hand on her face... possibly including lipstick, though that much is impossible to tell at present. "My name is Yanagi!"

And then, because she's decided she's twirled her fork enough, she sticks it in her mouth. It is an absurd amount of spaghetti. One might start to understand how her face got so messy.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Niko would claim that she 'doesn't sweat the small stuff', which is one way of saying that she doesn't pay very close attention to details unless she has personal reason to. Only reason she cared at all about her own outfit was around Halloween time. Fashion is... well, not lost on her, but not something that she knows a lot about, nor has her focus.

Yanagi is obviously different. Changing styles, having a fancy vibe in general, even if Niko knows little about it she'd like to think she can tell a fashionable lady when she sees one. She's quick to assume that also means they must live in different worlds. But it's not like anything like that ever stopped her from being friendly. Or treating them like they're already friends, that may be a more accurate way to describe the way she acts.

And, for the sake of friendship... serious topics are best avoided, or discussed less seriously. Which is why she waves a dismissive hand at the question. "Oh, nothing big, nothing big. Just thought there might be something to the things they were saying, about this world being a punishment or somethin'? I could see it. Probably just sayin' shit though."

She takes a moment to take a big ol' bite out of her sandwich, chuckling with her mouth full, but swallowing before speaking. "'Interesting' huh? You mean in the sense that we look like bad news, right? You can just say it, I mean, you're not wrong." And clearly not something she's concerned about, continuing in the same breath with a smile that looks genuine enough, "Nice to meet you properly, Yanagi!" Even if she hadn't only given her first name, the rules have been established, first name it is.

She snerks, then openly laughs at Yanagi's way of eating. "What the crap, seriously. You look so fancy, and yet you're all," she gestures, "Like that, when you eat. I..." There's a bit of an odd pause, before Niko continues like there hadn't been one. "Well I guess I'm not one for dainty bites either, but like, not much to ruin about me. With you it's like, bit of a waste to mess yourself up, dontcha think?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Yanagi Nagisa has posed.
<poem>
It comes of working for a high-end boutique. You come to care about relevant things. Of course, to call what Yanagi does there 'work' might sometimes stretch the imagination... Tsumugi is a lenient boss, what can one say?

Yanagi, too, is one to be friendly immediately to the people she meets, because she's not long for this world and there's no point in waiting. However, for that same reason, she doesn't stand on ceremony, either with friends or enemies. So when Niko tries to dismiss the matter, she tilts her head the other way, still chewing. Once she swallows--out of a desire not to choke rather than a sense of propriety--she wonders, "Why do you think this world is a punishment?" She doesn't sound dismissive, dubious or critical; she clearly wants to know.

She could see it too, after all. She's got her own reasons for thinking the same, even. However, what she's interested in is the specifics of why ''Niko'' thinks that.

"Yup," Yanagi replies, unabashed and unashamed. Bad news for one isn't necessarily bad for another--and as a Navigator, she can tell from their Resonance that they're a group of Persona Users, too. She smiles back, eyes squinting shut. "You too, Niko~"

Om nom nom, goes more of that spaghetti. There's only one more (large) bite left, and as she chews this one, she blinks over at Niko. She smiles again. "Henk oo!" she replies around a mouthful of noodles. However, as Niko continues--odd pause and all--she makes it clear that, odd as ''she'' is, she didn't mean it as a compliment. Yanagi considers this, and her, as she twirls that last bit of noodles.

"Not really. It ''would'' be a shame to dirty this dress," since Tsumugi made it and she loves them, "but there's not much to ruin about me either."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Work is work! Whatever definition of a livelihood you have, few indeed are the ones that don't require some form of work to support it. Niko does her 'odd jobs', as she'd put it, which is a living... even if it's far from an ordinary one. Such is life. This life, anyway.

Her thoughts in that area aren't pleasant for anyone. It'd be best to share as little as possible, certainly not with people who wouldn't understand. Yanagi doesn't ''look'' like someone who would. Which is why being asked so directly is met with a pensive frown, and an eloquent "..." One can just about see the question 'what's your angle' in her expression, before it's replaced by a smile, and a more direct inquiry to that effect. "Heh. You're somethin' else, Yagani. Why're you so interested in what a random street punk thinks? You don't think it's gonna be nonsense at best, something truly vile at worst?"

It doesn't do anything to ruin the atmosphere for her. She can still manage a perfectly pleasant exchange of introductions. Laugh jovially, at a fancy woman with very non-fancy eating habits. But it's that last part, those final words of Yanagi's response, that gives her pause. Making her think that maybe she'd made a mistaken assumption. There seems to be a story there - more importantly, a like-minded mindset.

"...Is that so?" Niko stares down into her coffee cup for a moment, before downing the whole thing in one gulp. Letting out a seemingly satisfied sigh afterwards, her following, casual words are quite the opposite of satisfaction.

"'What did I do to deserve this life?'"

She lets that hang there for a second before continuing, "Maybe what it takes is thoughts like that, to see things more clearly. To really start seeing how broken the world is. Would it really be so strange, if it wasn't just you, but ''everyone'' who is being punished?" She rubs her fingers on the edge of her cup, continuing to stare into it. "Just seemed to me like, maybe the zombies realized a truth that most people don't, or can't, without becoming one of them."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Yanagi Nagisa has posed.
<poem>
This life indeed.

"Hmmm... I suppose it doesn't matter that much. I don't really care about what 'matters,' though. For example, you just said something that makes it clear you think something pretty shouldn't be wasted with ugly behaviors or habits. However, here I am doing them, and it's neither harming nor affecting anyone. Even if it ''did'' affect anyone, it'd only be one or two people." She nods to Niko, then the clerk. "Compared to the pleasure I'm getting out of living the way I please, does ''that'' really matter?"

She smiles. "There are some who'd say it would, I'm sure. But those people are probably ones who'd destroy themselves before inconveniencing anyone else. It's all well and good to be mindful of others, but doesn't one's own self matter? What's the point of being mindful of others if it destroys you? Who are others supposed to be mindful of if you do that?"

She picks up her fork, spearing the last shreds of saucy noodles. "In other words, I'm asking to satisfy my own curiosity and for no other reason. Whether your viewpoint is vile nonsense or not, I want to catch a glimpse of it, because you've caught my interest." She waggles that fork playfully at her. "I wouldn't do this for just anyone! There's seven billion people in this world! I'm not ''that'' interested that I'd want a peek at the views of each and every single one! I've got things to do!" She giggles. "But I like your skelly dress and your chain belt, and you like being called by your first name by a stranger, so I want to know more about you. Also, of course, you're a Persona User."

Chomp. That would seem to be the end of it... except then Niko shares back. Yanagi gives her a thoughtful look at that question, nodding slowly; even without a full mouth, she'd wait for her to continue. Inevitably she does. Yanagi chews and chews and chews and swallows. Only now that her plate is clean does she lift her napkin drape and start to clean her face.

"Hmmm... Do you know what Duchenne muscular dystrophy is, Niko?" she wonders. Without waiting for an answer, she continues, "It's a genetic disease that causes one's muscles to change into fat over time. Because the muscles don't grow back, one eventually loses the ability to do, well, anything... like walk. Or breathe. It's always fatal, since there is no cure, and those with it usually die in childhood. It predominantly affects boys, but extremely rarely it can appear in girls."

She picks up and sips her milk tea. She sets it down with a now-clean smile. There is indeed lipstick there. She must be using a waterproof brand, because it hadn't smudged a millimeter. "A girl who was born with that condition... She would definitely think, over and over, 'What did I do to deserve this life,' don't you imagine?"

If she hadn't already, perhaps now Niko will notice a sleek, polished walking cane hooked onto the edge of the computer table on Yanagi's other side.

Criss-crossing her fingers, she leans her chin on her hands. "I do see what you mean, Niko. All that lives will one day die. All of us must inevitably suffer the pain of separation. Given this fact, it ''would'' be natural to believe this world is a punishment for everyone in it."

...Yet, she doesn't seem at all perturbed.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Well damn, Niko thinks but doesn't say. Most people back off at least a little bit when she implies 'street thug business is none of yours'. Or, what they say only gives her fodder to push back more, leading to the same end result. The understanding that she can get along with anyone perfectly fine, but there are limits to consider. She's not saying that for her, she's saying it for others. Doing them a favor, really.

But that's because most people are simple. Shallow, phrased less kindly. All they do is follow unspoken rules without questioning them. They don't really care, they just make it sound that way in order to get along. Nothing wrong with that, as long they don't pretend too much.

But it seems Yanagi wasn't pretending, was she? That was a LOT more of a reaction than Niko bargained for, not leaving room to get a word in edgewise. There's not even anything there she can find fault with to argue against. The normally so talkative street punk is struck silent, just sort of staring following all that, until finally managing, "W-well, that's... pretty good reasons..."

She's got to switch gears after that, and the way she tries to do so is, "You say you want to know more, but I'm sure there's really not that much more to me here." Which is a pretty odd way of phrasing, and once she realizes that, she clams up. Until Yanagi's words prompt her to say more, and after she does...

The mention of a disease causes Niko's eyes to grow wide with immediate concern. Whether she fully knows what that is or not, at the very least she seems to realize that it is indeed a serious condition that is being mentioned, and the most likely reason for that. In this matter, she seems perceptive enough, reacting to the full description with only the one quiet word, "...Shit."

What else could she even say? 'I'm sorry?' That's not what she would want to hear, she can only imagine Yanagi wouldn't appreciate it either. Especially not when said so matter-of-factly. As if having accepted all that. She can only conclude that this person doesn't just understand. This person is much stronger than she is.

"...I believe you," she finally decides are the best words to speak. That, and to repay in kind. "Then... I'll tell you about me. The real me."

She turns to Yanagi, expression serious, as she places a hand on her chest. "This... this isn't who I really am. It's something that was done to me, and now I'm stuck. I didn't want to be like this. I didn't want to do the things I do. I was a good student. I was... I was going to be a doctor. I wanted to do everything I could to help people who suffer from diseases! But now...!"

She grits her teeth, angrily looking away, since the anger is not meant for Yanagi. "Someone... ''someone'' took everything I had away from me! And I... I won't stop, until I find a way to make things right. To return things to how they should be, for everybody. I'm sure that..."

She interrupts herself there, looking back to Yanagi. There are few who would say it about Niko, but the way she is right now, perhaps it isn't so difficult to believe that she genuinely cares about others. "It isn't fair. I want to believe that fate was supposed to be kinder to you."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Yanagi Nagisa has posed.
<poem>
Yanagi was definitely not pretending. There was a time in her life when she would have pretended, not out of simplicity or shallowness but because her circumstances are so upsetting that she wanted to avoid troubling anyone with them. These days, well--it's just as she says. What does that matter compared to her living freely, the way she desires? Who will it really hurt in the end, when she's going to die young anyway?

So when Niko is struck mute, then stammers out a response, she giggles. "They are! I'm glad you agree. So?"

However, when Niko tries to change tracks, Yanagi gives her another thoughtful look. "Oh? Perhaps so. Some people don't," she concedes, seeming amenable to accepting her denial on its face despite the clearly off phrasing. She, too, understands that many people are simple and shallow, and she doesn't hold that against them, even if she won't live that way herself.

Her gaze softens when Niko responds with that curse and, for a moment, nothing else. "It is shit," she agrees. It seems like she's clever and understanding, to get precisely what Yanagi's getting at. She's grateful or that, and so gives her time to figure out what her reaction will be. It's a hard thing for most people to react to, she knows well.

So when Niko offers up her true self in return, Yanagi shuffles in her seat to face her and pay full attention. Her smile fades at the words ''It's something that was done to me,'' her long eyelashes hooding. However, she doesn't interrupt, even when Niko interrupts herself.

"Thank you. That's kind of you, Niko. There isn't such a thing as fairness, though. That's something people made up. Things happen, pleasant and painful... that's all." She leans forward a little. "We can still feel how we like about them, though, so I won't tell you not to say that. Your anger belongs to you, and that's something no one can take away. Even if they try. And there are those who /will/ try, very hard, and very skillfully." She leans back. "But... you say 'someone' did it to you. Does that mean you don't know who? And what exactly do you mean by 'like this'?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
There's something enviable about being that confident in your own assessment of the way things are. At the same time, Niko absolutely cannot do the same. Hope and optimism do the majority of the legwork for her. She believes things can improve exactly because accepting the way things are is something she absolutely can't do. Even her reaction to Yanagi's situation stems from refusal to accept that it's inevitable and unchangeable. Even if it should turn out that she's the only one who thinks anything can be done... that just means it's on her to prove herself right.

Is this a form of kindness? Even Niko isn't sure. Her true self had surely been kind. But that's not who she is now, is it? As for fairness... "...Guess maybe that was the wrong way to put it," she will admit to. "So then just... consider it my opinion that you didn't deserve to go through all this."

Questioned further, she shakes her head. "I know only what my friends told me. That Kirijo has to have had something to do with it, made them suffer too. Trying to get answers there, that might be one way."

Would it be the preferred way? Even Niko isn't sure. She wouldn't claim not to want revenge. But much more than that, she just wants back what was taken from her. She'll take whatever she can get.

The question of 'like this' prompts a blank blink, Niko having to think back to what she said only a moment ago. Evidently that was fully in the moment, not something she was thinking a lot about. "Oh... well, I meant, this body. This isn't what I really look like." Her expression turns pouty as she looks down at herself. "Girls in school were jealous of my chest size, for one thing." Her clothing may make it look like she's flaunting it, but as it happens, she isn't actually very happy about being all muscle, now.

She sighs, and shakes her head. "But, this is the body I'm stuck with, for now. Not forever, though. Won't let it be forever." So she has to believe. And with that thought, she finally smiles again. "So, for now, I'm just gonna keep moving, keep doing what I can. And you bet your ass I'm gonna find a way to do it. I mean, have you seen all the crazy shit going on? Ain't no way it's not possible to make it work for me, one way or another."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Yanagi Nagisa has posed.
<poem>
"Oh, you don't need to rephrase it. It's your belief either way," Yanagi reassures Niko--or at least, it's her intent to reassure her. "But in that case, I ''will'' consider it so."

Her friends... In other words, the counter-cultists she'd been with at the park. Yanagi remembers them too. The name Kirijo is not immediately recognizable to her, and so she wonders, "Who's Kirijo?"

But then Niko reveals that it's her body itself that she meant. "Oh! How interesting. They changed your actual body?" Yanagi leans closer again to peer at Niko's muscular frame. It'd be quite enviable to her younger self. Right now, she's someone who paid attention to the fact that it's something Niko didn't want and was forced upon her. She looks back up at her with sympathetic eyes, then leans back again.

"I suppose my body was modified too, but that was done by the NWO," she muses, "and the modifications they did let me live a little longer, more comfortably. That doesn't mean it was a good thing, considering they were also forcing Personas on those around me..." Once again, her eyes lid. "So many erupted with demons that immediately slayed them. It's a wonder that anyone survived." Then she laughs a little. "Let alone someone like me!"

Niko smiles again, and Yanagi smiles back at her and claps her hands together. "What a wonderful spirit! There ''are'' so many strange and incredible things going on. If you were changed once, who's to say you can't change again?" She reaches out to take Niko's hands into her own, if she lets her. "I'll be rooting for you, Niko!"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Niko makes a face at the word 'Kirijo' being repeated back at her. "As in, the Kirijo Group. Everything you ever heard about evil companies, they probably did it. Problem is, they're a huge deal, and real good at hiding their dirt, not something you can go up against easily." Not directly, anyway. No reason to bring the SEES connection into it here.

Looking Niko over like that cannot be done for very long before the protest, "H-hey, you don't gotta stare at me like that." A typical reaction all the same, despite the claims of her current body feeling foreign it's still the one she's got. Those easily visible arm, leg and abdominal muscles are quite pronounced indeed, they would be a dream come true for anyone aspiring to be a professional athlete. ...But since she wanted to be a doctor, it's fairly safe to say that Niko never had such aspirations.

The evident sympathy is appreciated, when Yanagi casually drops a bombshell. "What the hell, the NWO did that?!" It's not that she never considered the NWO might have ways to attain her goal, but, well, stories like Yanagi's make it pretty clear why it's hard to believe there wouldn't be a catch. And this, specifically... "That sounds just like the kind of shit Kirijo was up to, do all these bastards have the same playbook?"

Makes it hard to think of something to even say. Perhaps Yanagi owes them her life, but... would you really say 'I'm glad' about the way it was done, forced into a new state of being that you never asked for? Niko obviously wouldn't.

Nothing for it but to go all-in on the positivity, cleanse all the bad vibes away through the promise of a better future. A tried and true coping mechanism, all the better when encouraged. And she should be! If she had the power to, then everyone would get everything they ever wanted, she'd see to that! Accepting Yanagi's hands in addition to the encouragement, she brightly promises, "You bet, Yanagi! I'll do my best, for your sake too!"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Yanagi Nagisa has posed.
<poem>
"Oh, it's a company," Yanagi says. She doesn't seem impressed, but it does make sense to her in context. They're the ones who'd have money to disappear someone and do whatever they want to her body, to the point that she looks like someone else entirely.

"But I do, because I want to get a closer look," Yanagi replies. Still, she leans back. She understands what Niko was really trying to say, that being stared at like that makes her uncomfortable. Yanagi simply doesn't live by those mores anymore.

"Oh--are you also an Artificial Persona User?" she wonders, eyebrows furrowing in concern. At normal times like this, they register just the same to her senses as a "natural" Persona User. However, if they changed her body, then it makes sense they might have induced her Persona as well...

As for the NWO, even if they did do her some good, they also caused her immense harm. That more than balances it out, in her opinion. "It certainly sounds similar. I wonder if they're connected..."

All-in on positivity is a great coping mechanism! Yanagi beams at Niko, eyes squinting shut momentarily. "Same here!"

They both have things they can do to make the world better for everyone.
</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 2]]

2026-04-26: A SMILE For Halloween

2026-05-02T22:46:46Z

Fureasei: Created page with "*'''Log: A SMILE For Halloween''' *'''Cast:''' Niko Kirisaki, Kurou Ryouhara *'''Where:''' Shibuya Central Street *'''OOC Date:''' April 26, 2026 *'''IC Date:''' October 31, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''Niko's suggestion of a Halloween movie night to Kurou having been entirely serious, the two enjoy a special themed showing of SMILE. Though exposing several of her weaknesses in the process, Niko can trust Kurou not to take advantage of them - and to go along with her e..."

*'''Log: A SMILE For Halloween'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Niko Kirisaki]], [[Kurou Ryouhara]]
*'''Where:''' Shibuya Central Street
*'''OOC Date:''' April 26, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' October 31, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Niko's suggestion of a Halloween movie night to Kurou having been entirely serious, the two enjoy a special themed showing of SMILE. Though exposing several of her weaknesses in the process, Niko can trust Kurou not to take advantage of them - and to go along with her every whim, to boot. Their strange dynamic somehow works for the both of them, certainly nothing tragic will lie ahead in their futures.''

----

(|========================== Central Street - Main ===========================|)
-====================================================== Tokyo/Shibuya Ward ====-
Chances are, if you're a fan of a youth trend in Tokyo, it started here. Less
than a five minute walk from Shibuya Station, Central Street is lined with
businesses that cater to youth culture. Boutiques and media stores are just as
common as cafes and fast food. Arcades display the cabinets and claw games with
the latest merch, while back alley shops serve more merchandise for more niche
interests, such as military otaku looking for realistic-looking model guns at
Untouchable.

Drug stores, convenience stores, book stores, discount stores, video rental
stores? You name it, they got it. Sports gyms, karaoke bars, movie theatres,
diners? Yup. The local Big Bang Burger stands out most of all with its flashy
space-themed pneumonic entrance.

While it has a reputation as a safe neighborhood for both tourists and locals in
order to preserve its image as 'for the youth,' darker elements have started to
creep in from back alley folks that try to offer school kids opportunities for a
quick buck or job opportunities for tourists who find their passport stolen in
short order. Or so the rumor goes.

Still, rumors are just rumors, aren't they? There's no reason to hold back, so
come on in, enjoy yourselves.

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
For all Niko will claim she was 'just saying shit' whenever it suits her, when she casually threw out the suggestion to go watch a movie come Halloween, she clearly wasn't kidding. As is Niko's wont, her follow-up came not in the form of a suggestion - Kurou had already agreed, after all. All that remained was informing him what they would be doing, and so she did a few days ago: a special Halloween evening showing of SMILE, at the movie theatre on Shibuya's Central Street. ...Which is just like a regular showing, except for the decorations and themed snacks.

Speaking of snacks, Kurou was tasked with handling those, 'in whatever way he deemed fit'. That might be a dangerous thing to say to someone who can't be expected to act according to any sort of common sense, but that is of course exactly why Niko phrased it like that, she wanted to see what he'll do. In return, he wouldn't need to worry about the tickets. Those tend to go quick for special celebratory days, but in Niko's exact words: "don't worry about it, I know a guy".

And so, around eight in the evening on the 31st, out in front of the movie theatre... Kurou will immediately need to contend with the first curveball. Niko did briefly mention the dressing up part of Halloween during their previous in-person contact, but she hasn't brought it up since. She certainly didn't mention any sort of expectation for him to dress up for this at all. But if he failed to do so, then he's absolutely going to be in the minority here. Not only is it absolutely packed out there, there's ghouls and ghosts all over the place! And no obvious Nikos to be seen.

That's because Niko DID dress up for this. She's among the crowd, but she's wearing a black, long-sleeved but short-skirted, hooded dress with the bones of a skeleton depicted on the front and back. With the hood up and eyeshadow increased by multiple factors, it's not exactly the most effort anyone's ever put in appearing more skeleton-like, but if that was the point then the skeleton pattern on her clothes probably wouldn't be ''neon pink''. It even glows in the dark!

Will he manage to find her among all the other spooks, or will she have to find him...?

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
<poem>
If being invited to the movies is supposed to mean anything to Kurou beyond seeing a movie together, then he's unfortunately missed the memo. Demonstratively, Kurou's missed ''a lot'' of memos. His main concern is what Niko had said before... How she had lost family, and how she had been hurt, and that her smiles seemed stuck on in the way his own were off.

But there is no need to let revenge consume one wholly. If they are 'just a little lost', then... they should be permitted to wander.

And he ''had'' agreed to wander with her to the movies, so when Niko had given the time and the place, Kurou was there without question. His duty was snacks... 'in whatever way he deemed fit'. That one bringing their own concessions to a movie is not permitted is neither here nor there: Kurou would be an embarrassment to the Ryouhara name if he could not do something as simple as sneak in his own selection of snacks without notice, hidden upon his person.

He arrives not entirely without thought to his appearance, for once. His usual blue streaks and nail polish are ''orange'' today -- except for the accent nail, which is black. For Kurou, this is a notable attempt to respect the festivities. It is, as he swiftly learns, an ''under dressed'' attempt.

"Ah," Kurou says to no one as he notes the crowd. He considers a moment, then puts the hood of his grey, casual vest hoodie up: it ''does'' have those wolf ears sewn onto it. Strange how a quality considered alternative and unusual is now understated here...

But how will he find Niko...? Kurou considers his phone, then considers the noise and stimulation of the crowd gathered for this special showing. He would also be an embarrassment of a Ryouhara shinobi if he could not locate his target. Kurou stalks into the crowd in silence

...

"... Skeleton-chan..." he greets with quiet wonder, before saying or doing anything else to announce himself.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
This, too, may all be part of Niko's efforts to keep her mind off more painful matters. But what's wrong with that? Surely having fun is preferable to wallowing in sorrow over things that can't be changed. Or... can't be changed ''yet''. As much as revenge is part of Strega's bread and butter, tonight it's the furthest it could be from her mind. Because it's freaking ''Halloween'' and that may well be her favorite day of the year, nothing's going to keep her from enjoying it.

Dressing up is all part of the fun, so obviously she was going to do that - in her own way. Considering what she learned about Kurou last time, perhaps it only stands to reason that she'd end up picking a skeleton motif. If there was any doubt at all about that having something to do with it, those doubts should be removed in her response to hearing the address of 'Skeleton-chan', turning to Kurou with a wide grin.

"Gashagasha," she vocalizes the onomatopoeia of rattling bones featured in the name of Kurou's Persona, wiggling her arms as she does so, then twirling about to show off both sides of the outfit. "You like it? Figured it might match your tastes~" She sure looks to be having a good time already.

She won't fault the comparatively minor changes in Kurou's usual look, acknowledging, "Looks like you're getting in the spirit of things yourself." Only to immediately move on to, "You got the goods?" Of course it would only make sense to opt for sneaking in snacks rather than buying any at the venue. That's how you do it, she expected no less.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
<poem>
Kurou may not be the most festive person, but he is someone who understands the value of honoring a ritual. Especially when there are events in life that can make it difficult to think -- or make one think too much -- otherwise.

But he certainly did not expect Skeletoniko, even having shown her Gashadokuro before. She responds as only a skeleton can: the rattling of bones. Kurou's face does not do very many things, but his eyes seem to be sparkling in the evening light.

He nods to her. "It is a very 'you' skeleton," he says. "You have taken a reminder of mortality and turned it whimsical. That is a powerful thing."

Maybe it wouldn't be Kurou without seeing everything with intense gravity.

Kurou touches at the orange streak in his hair. He makes a monotone hum to express his uncertainty. "... Next time, I will need to be better prepared." Akabane-san might even have helped him with a mask.

The ''goods'', though. Kurou gives a quick scan around the area, then gives Niko a discreet nod. "A small selection. I believe they should be appropriate given the movie's advertised subject matter."

Rather than risk giving away his whole stash to any authority who may be watching, he reaches for Niko's hand to press a preview of what he's brought into her palm.

... A tortoise shell colored hard candy. A ''bekkoame''. In the urban legend of Kuchisake-onna, providing such candy is one means to escape her wrath.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
No one expects the Skeletoniko! Heaven forbid she'd ever get predictable. As little as Kurou may visibly react to things in general, there are plenty of signs to inform Niko that she made a good call here, so that's a win in her book. Even if this is of course also for her own amusement, it'd sure have been dampened if this failed to land in the way she'd hoped.

"Uh-huh, that's definitely what I did," she responds matter-of-factly to Kurou's assessment. Anyone else could probably tell that she didn't put a single bit of thought into the aspects he brought up. Skeletons don't even make her think about mortality at all, she just thinks they're neat. Maybe one day he'll learn there doesn't need to be a deep reason for everything.

With a raised finger, she cautions, "Good plan, but careful not to overdo it on the fanciness. Some people may expect you to outdo yourself every year." People like her, in fact.

Niko's expression turns pensive at Kurou's description of the chosen snack selection, briefly wondering if she made a mistake here. In what way could he have overthought the assignment THIS time? Should she be worried?

The candy pressed into her palm is quick to disperse all concerns. Her eyes go wide when she realizes what exactly it is. "...Kurou-chan, you..." Briefly at a loss for words even, before she shakes her head. "...You really put a lot of thought into this, huh?" Finally then, the smile that confirms that which she is about to say. "I'm impressed. I mean it, you matched the theme and everything, totally exceeded my expectations on that one."

There's no way he could know how much it means to her to play along to this degree. It's enough to make Niko feel a little awkward, prompting her to quickly suggest with a jerk of the head in the direction of the entrance, "Well then... want to go grab our seats?"

There's no mention of tickets from her, as they pass by the booth and head straight to the ticket taker, dressed no differently than usual except for the Frankenstein's Monster mask. Even so, Niko clearly knows who's under there, as she extends her hand for a brief fist-bump with the 'monster', who then proceeds to produce a pair of tickets from his pocket, and hand her the stubs in short order. Without any words exchanged, Niko just keeps going like this is normal, only addressing Kurou again afterwards.

"So, just to make sure... you clearly looked into the movie, but you didn't look ''way'' into the movie, did you? Like, you're not supposed to know everything that happens before watching it for the first time. If you did... well, you do you, but I don't wanna know anything in advance, got it?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
<poem>
Niko has her work cut out for her if she intends to give Kurou a moment to not overthink a deeper meaning in everything. But for now, she plays along, and Kurou can only be impressed by this display against death. He is not yet sure what experiences the two of them share, but he knows it has put them on a similar path, and broken them in similar ways. Hers is an important display against death's shroud.

She is also far more experienced in Halloween rituals than he is. Kurou nods along attentively with her advice, but then he pauses with a small tilt of his head.

"Is rising to such challenges not an important part of the celebration?"

He concedes it could go either way, depending on the purposes of the festival, which may well differ per individual.

But for snacks, Kurou is confident in his choices. Bekkoame, kuroame, and small hard candy lollipops. Coins are also said to work, and so chocolate coins are among the mix... dark chocolate, to offset the sweetness of his other confectionery picks.

He certainly did not take on this task to do it by halves.

"You asked me to take care of it," he simply replies to her. "I could do no less."

Kurou remains blissfully unaware of any awkwardness, and gives a firm and dutiful nod. He does not question the who she knows, how she knows them, and what benefits this incurs. He knows the best thing to do in these moments is remain inconspicuous and act like everything is normal. ... But it's hard not to notice how Niko gets along with so many people.

Those that have made enemies of her clearly had to work at it.

Niko's questions on the matter of ''spoilers'' are something even Kurou cannot deny to be a valid concern. He ''did'' say he was new to the idea of watching movies.

"I understand surprise is meant to be an important factor to the viewing experience. I know its title, and I know the posters it advertises with, and that is all I know."

It's enough to know the subject of horror, but anything else... Kurou would not even know to know there's a difference between a psychological thriller from a slasher.

"... And I will keep any suspicions drawn from this information to myself until after the film has completed."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Leave it to Niko to be surrounded by people in guises that resemble the living dead and not for a moment think about actual death. That's not really what Halloween is supposed to be about, certainly not to her. There's only good memories of this, the one day every year she felt okay with dressing up and acting a little outside her usual comfort zone. At least, that's how it was in a different place, a different time.

Her perspective on certain things is far from different, however. She'd never back down from a Halloween-related dare. So where it comes to rising to challenges...

"'course that's important! You always gotta keep trying to do better. It's just that, the higher you set the bar, the harder it'll be to clear the next jump, y'know?" Maybe not the best analogy to explain it, but it's what her mind goes to.

Kurou sure did take his part in this seriously, though. Big believer in 'everything worth doing is worth doing well', or so it seems. Good attitude, really. In hindsight, she doesn't know why she's even surprised he'd treat Halloween with just as much seriousness as everything else.

But, for the time being, what really matters is that they have both snacks and tickets. Regardless of how things were procured, it only matters that you have the right things at the right time. But sometimes, you can overdo such things, such as in gathering intel on a movie. Fortunately, Kurou stopped short of that, this time.

"Oh good, that's a relief. Then we can both have the full and proper movie-watching experience." Yeah, she has some Opinions on spoilers. But this means she can skip this spiel, and move onto the other matters of concern.

"Alright, so, since you were worried about it. Let me tell you the proper way to watch a movie. Keep your eyes on the screen, no getting distracted by your surroundings. Snacks are ok at any time, but no talking until after it's over. That's it. Simple enough, right?" It's not like these are official rules, but they are Niko's rules and that's what matters.

However, during the actual movie, Niko fails to entirely uphold her own rules. She's clearly into it, tensing up when things are coming up to where everyone can tell things are about to go horribly wrong... and then the first on-screen killing happens. At that moment, Niko lets out a little yelp, and turns her eyes away from the screen... towards Kurou's arm, which she'd abruptly latched onto.

That only lasts for a short moment, when she abruptly lets go and backs away, pointedly avoiding looking in his direction for the rest of the movie. Though continuing to get visibly spooked throughout the movie, she manages to avoid a repeat of the incident, partially through breaking another one of her rules, and vocalizing her thoughts aloud. Especially of the 'no, no, don't do that' variety, when the characters do things that seem like a bad idea. Outright exclaiming, "That's not what you say!" when a foolish answer is given to the infamous question 'Am I Pretty?'

Could it be that... Niko is also not actually good at watching movies...?
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
<poem>
Kurou is not a boy unfamiliar with 'costumes', although rarely have they been fanciful or for fun. He needed to learn how to dress up to blend in, not to express himself. But even his style of wear today, now that he's found life in his eyes again, shows that somewhere buried in there, he still knows what that idea is and reaches for it.

A challenge, too, is something the fire in him is fueled by.

"Then it must be built as high as it can be, and must be cleared all the same."

Even 'fun' is serious with this guy... (But is that fine, as long as it ''is'' fun?)

Thankfully, this has included his dedication to a spoiler-free experience for both himself, and more importantly, Niko. And even more thankfully, Niko has all the wisdom he needs to watch movies ''properly''. Sit and watch, she said before, but now in valuable detail: no talking, no looking away, snacks okay.

This, of course, he takes dreadfully seriously with terrifyingly strict posture, utter silence, and complete stillness. Even his chewing makes no sound. Even his ''breathing'' is near imperceptible. One wouldn't be wrong to get the idea he's mentally taking notes, putting his whole head toward who is who and what is what. But he does not even flinch when the killing begins.

The only thing that gets a reaction is Niko, who yelps and clings to his arm, and he can feel which way her face is facing. Or, more to the point, where it ''isn't''. He does not turn away, as if this might be some form of test, looking at her only through his peripheral vision.

... And he does a few more times when she begins bargaining with the characters to avoid inevitable doom. Her rules for movies did not cover for what to do when the rules begin to break because of panic. (Panic is a bit of a strong word, Kurou...) Niko's right, though: 'yes' isn't what you say, and this is going to go very poorly.

Hm. Kurou considers, wondering if it's worse to get more distracted by the idea that the survivors are mishandling the wounds they're receiving if they want to maximize survival odds, or by Niko's own distress.

In the end, without looking toward her, he reaches for her hand...

... and places a few more bekkoame in her palm.

This way, she may feel safer from the threat upon the silver screen.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
What a response THAT was. It even gives Niko pause to wonder whether she should in some way discourage Kurou putting the bar as high as he claims he will. She won't, of course. This only gives her more reason to look forward to next Halloween. It's sounding like she won't be able to even fathom what his costume's going to be like. As for the current Halloween...

Niko sure did steal some glances at Kurou's rigid following of 'the rules', finding it amusing as always, though she kept her snickering to the inward kind. But that, of course, abruptly stopped after that... momentary incident. Then she's suddenly glad he's not the kind to needle her about that. Or worse, view it as some kind of encouragement to act upon. He's so still, she doesn't even feel she needs to worry about whether or not she might be visibly blushing.

Even so... she can't just pretend none of that happened. This guy overthinks everything, what kind of conclusions is he going to reach without her setting the record straight? She'll have to think of what to tell him after the movie--

She gasps, breathing suddenly coming to a stop as Kurou's hand touches hers. For a fleeting, yet seemingly long moment, she's forced to doubt her previous assessment and wonder if he in fact did feel in some way encouraged... only to find his hand soon retreating, leaving candy pressed into hers. She really struggles to keep a guffaw from coming out. She really should have known better. There was never any way that was going to happen.

Soon, the movie ends - with Niko predictably startled by the stinger, and remaining frozen in her seat for a few moments before abruptly hurrying out. Kurou may have cause to wonder what exactly she's fleeing from, but in the end will discover that it's not him, judging from how she waits for him outside of the theater, looking very uncomfortable. She's still not entirely sure how she's going to put things into words, but then, it's more her style to just start and see where it ends up going, isn't it? She wastes little time, once face to face with Kurou again.

"...Can I tell you a secret, Kurou-chan? I love spooky movies, but I don't actually... handle them very well." ...Yes, that sure was a big secret wasn't it, after what just happened back there.

"Go on, laugh," she says to the guy she knows is the least likely to laugh at anything ever. "We deal with horrors all the time and ''this'' is what gets to me? Ridiculous, right? Makes you want to laugh, right?" She gives him the opening to, not that she expects him to take it. Then she averts her eyes.

"It's just... this is different, alright? It just feels more... more real."

It really says a lot about Niko, that a movie feels more real to her than anything the Dark Hour could throw at her.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
<poem>
It is already a difficult challenge to consider. To select the right subject matter, and then to execute it well... He will need to do more research on the matter of Halloween's purpose, and how he will embody its meaning in a potential costume. Niko has her own meaning in her neon pink skeleton of whimsy... He will have to dig deeply into his own soul.

For now, a movie. And luckily(?) for Niko, Kurou's overthinking requires him to have a ''thought'' which to ''overthink''. There are some thoughts that seem to never quite enter his head. Why would Niko clutch his arm? Because she is startled. The rules, he realizes, must be their own sort of challenge to meet.

It's a difficult scenario, though... to address it without breaking the rules himself. Candy given, and Niko not reprimanding him on the spot, Kurou gains confidence that he is doing Good At Movie.

He even remains perfectly still and attentive during the credits! Then, the stinger, and he wonders if it's not over after all...? Until Niko leaves, in a hurry. Ah, yes, being in a hurry is ''also'' a possible correct response to a Kuchisake-onna's 'Am I pretty?' Niko is well prepared for this scenario. Kurou stands and bows to the screen, remarking, "We are running late," before following after.

Kurou meets Niko outside, looking for all the world like he expected to meet her there. Because he did. And now that the movie's over, conversation begins again, with a secret.

"I see. So you experience frightened impulses that make it harder not to break the 'rules'..." Well, yes but also perhaps not entirely the point. He regards Niko in his usual blank way when told to laugh, and though one might think he'd take such a command literally, it does not compel the urge.

Does it make him ''want'' to...?

"Not particularly..." he replies, blandly honest.

Movies as something that feels more 'real'...

"... You love them." Niko had said that first, hadn't she. "Even though they frighten you. And they frighten you because they feel real." Kurou looks at the way she does not look at him. "Is that also why you love them?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
If only Niko realized Kurou's thought process for the way she just ran out like that. That's not even a complete misunderstanding. It wasn't the primary reason, by a long shot, yet somehow, he's managed to spot an element even Niko herself didn't consciously realize was at play at the time. Will wonders never cease.

As such, this couldn't really be part of the explanation that does end up happening, mostly prompted by different worries. She'll never be able to guess the way Kurou thinks, she needs to hear him say things out loud to be sure whether anything bears correction. ...And it already starts off not sounding entirely correct, but maybe it's okay to let that part about the 'rules' go.

Bland honesty can be a relief - even though Niko already guessed Kurou never felt an impulse to laugh about anything, it helps to hear it confirmed. But then comes the conclusion, and... Niko just stands there blinking a moment, dumbfounded. "I... I guess, maybe...?" Kurou really does think things over a lot more than she typically does.

She shakes her head. "It's probably not as deep as all that. But... I suppose it's true that, no matter how much the world changes, you can still trust a movie to be a movie. If that makes sense." She's genuinely not sure if it does. All that she's sure of is, "We can't help the way we feel... and how the way we feel makes us act."

While she doesn't follow that up verbally, she does give Kurou a meaningful look, at that point. Acting on feelings. Would he claim not to know what that's like? That would be something that she'd need to correct him on. She's certain she's seen him do just that, even if she's equally certain he wouldn't have noticed.

Instead, she loops back to her reasons, adding another, more specific one, the memory of which visibly unsettles her all over again. "I... actually met one once. A Kuchisake-onna, that seemed to have it in for me. Managed to get away, but... guess maybe it got to me a little more than I thought."

She clears her throat and takes a breath, building back up to her usual self. "Well. Guess that made this good therapy, right? So uh, thanks for coming with, made it easier, for sure." She stops short of spelling it out quite that much, but ultimately, she did really want to see this movie, and there's no way she could have watched it by herself. That established... a grin forms, as she places her hands on the back of her head.

"Man, but those twists really were something, huh? Even if some of them only happened because of stupid mistakes. Heck, the whole premise happened because of stupid mistakes. That's the moral of the story here, Kurou-chan: always be honest in matters of love, or you're gonna regret it."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
<poem>
Sometimes a broken Kurou is right twice a day. If he's lucky, sometimes even thrice.

As ever, he manages to be so straightforward that he misses the mark, for few targets in this world can be hit with a straight line. For all Kurou fails to recognize how much Niko might be fretting over certain things, at least his demeanor and discussion confirms it: he doesn't think her reactions are something to poke fun of. He's simply curious about her thoughts on the movie, or even movies in general.

Niko doesn't seem to agree with his assessment fully, and Kurou sees no reason to think she's wrong about her own heart. But something that doesn't change...

"It does make sense." Kurou folds his arm, tapping his finger thoughtfully against it. "... And to have something so frightening, but unable to hurt you... That is an... interesting experience."

But Niko says she cannot help how she feels makes her act, and Kurou's gaze unfocuses, eyes going eeriely dull for a few moments too long.

"... I think... it is better when that is true." His eyes refocus on her. "To be able to gasp out loud, and to verbally express your concern for the fates of Kishi-san and the others. Niko-chan truly is a kind person."

Is he really missing what she's getting at this badly...?! Yes. Maybe that's just as well in some respects, if not for others.

A real Kuchisake-onna... this is, sadly, not surprising given the supernatural worlds Niko and he both now experience. But it does reframe some of Niko's nervous energy during the film.

"Then I am happy if you were able to enjoy the movie, despite any bad memories. And if it helps you overcome one in any future encounters, then it is more than worth it." He pauses thoughtfully. "... I wonder if it would confuse one to ask if she thinks you are pretty, giving the opportunity to stab first..."

Kurou might try this himself if he meets one, he thinks.

Then Niko is back to grinning, and has taken wisdom from the story that Kurou himself did not see. His eyes widen, just a fraction, to be hit with this unexpected piece of information.

"I had not thought of it that way... So it could be a metaphor for how a heart might feel if handled carelessly, and the way tragedy can ripple to others' lives as well..." A very bloody, stabby slashy metaphor that he is ''definitely'' overthinking. "That would explain why she was so inefficient in her technique. Each slash was meant to be an expression of how it felt, rather than a means to an end..."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
To be told something makes sense by Kurou is hardly a guarantee that it's going to make sense to anyone else. But since no one else needs to know about today's events, Kurou's perspective is all that matters here. ...Still, he didn't need to rub it in that a movie can't hurt you like that. If she wasn't entirely sure he didn't realize how that could parse, she'd have said something about that.

Besides, it's far more concerning how he can just... zone out like that. She can't fathom what goes on in his head at times like that, but it's probably a hornet's nest best left unpoked. She's no stranger to diverting one's focus to easier matters, that felt like what was happening there, for sure.

...And while she won't confirm it, she also won't deny his claims of her being a kind person. Hard though it may be to believe anyone who'd say that knows what they're talking about, that doesn't make it any less nice to hear.

Instead, she only lets out a chuckle to the matter of dealing with Kuchisake-onna. "Worth a shot," so she says, but who knows if she'd have the nerve in the heat of the moment.

Her good humor is back entirely when Kurou starts theorizing like that, which gets a more hearty laugh in response. "Stabbing technique was nooot really what I was getting at... but, good thinking there, Kurou-chan. Never just assume that what you thought to know is the whole truth. Gotta stay open to possibilities that you just couldn't see at the time." Like, you know. Not actually being dead.

Abruptly, Niko steps forward, motioning for Kurou to follow. "Hey, but what are we standing around here for, night's still young! What say we take our movie talk over to Big Bang, grab a Moon Burger while we're there? It's the seasonal special! You gotta try the seasonal specials."

And, if it's left up to her, next will be Escapade's Halloween rave for the rest of the night! Interrupted by trashing some Shadows when the Dark Hour gets in the way of the fun, but, no reason not to keep going afterwards. Gotta make the most of this day! ...So what if tomorrow's a Thursday? No issue there that she can see.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
<poem>
Unfortunately, Kurou is not immune to becoming so wrapped up in his own interpretations and thoughts on the matter that he commits accidental splash damage. Sorry, Niko.

With the look he gives, there is, despite his stoicism, clearly a lot of thoughts about the movie going on under the surface. But he wouldn't know where to begin articulating them. It seems to him more... 'fun', and more practical, to take this from Niko's perspective first, as much as possible.

She's the one who knows movie rules, after all. But Kurou's heart feels more at ease to see her laughing. It does not occur to him that he should not have been internally criticizing the killer's technique during the screening.

Or was that his own Kurou way of distracting from a frightful experience?

"One cannot learn what they think they already know," he agrees. "It would also help explain why the victims often spilled more blood than the human body has available... I did not realize this was a decision of visual poetry."

This is why he was worried about not being good at watching movies. There seems to be a great deal of nuance.

He follows along easily, almost automatically in his way. "Moon... Burger?" Kurou nods to her. "Very well. We will go try it."

Tomorrow ''is'' Thursday, but... Kurou's midterm exams are finished now, and he did score quite well. Shiryuu told him to find people who 'get' him... Perhaps, for tonight, it is permissible to 'party hard', for he will be hard pressed to deny the rest of Niko's agenda for the night.

He'll just have to text Akabane-san and tell her he will be out late for the holiday, and not to wait up or worry.

</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 2]]

2026-04-22: Meeting a Muse

2026-04-23T11:08:27Z

Fureasei: 'ansi for database attack' output parses as combat action; will be filtered out in the next Log Muncher version

*'''Log: Meeting a Muse'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Lisa Silverman]], [[Ririka Kawase]]
*'''Where:''' Peace Diner, Yumezaki Center
*'''OOC Date:''' April 22, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' Monday, October 29, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Lisa is at the Peace Diner to talk to Chikarin, when she spots a familiar face from [[2026-04-17:_Gas_Chamber_-_The_Return|Gas Chamber's recent concert]]. Lisa and Ririka get to talking about music and their respective endeavors.''

----

(|============================= Yumezaki Center ==============================|)
-=============================================== Sumaru City/Yumezaki Ward ====-
Yumezaki Center is unmistakable: countless bright billboards invite and welcome
in people of all walks to walk down its indoor and outdoor shops. One of those
doors leads to the Velvet Room--but that's only for those who can see it.

One of the more casual stores is Tony's Shop, which is really just several
tables on the sidewalk set up with various rings, necklaces, bracelets, and
other accessories. Tony, the stoned-looking blond foreigner who runs it, is
supposedly a smuggler for the Sicilian mafia, if you can believe it--but he does
have some rare goods for sale at times.

One can chow down at Peace Diner, which offers a variety of burgers, fries and
shakes; the part-timer who works the register is infamous for being a big fan of
period dramas and so talking like a ninja. Sevens rumormonger Chika "Chikarin"
Ueda, a first-year, likes to hang out here too to swap info for her school
newspaper.

A burnished bro in a Hawaiian shirt runs Bikini Line, a tan salon with a
tropical aesthetic, including palm trees, tiki totem poles, and an abundance of
hibiscus flowers. Though it might seem a little shady--literally--the tanning
booths here work wonders, leaving clients feeling healed in mind and body.

And, of course, it's not Sumaru City without a local Satomi Tadashi Pharmacy
branch. This one looks the same as all the others: aisles and walls laden with
medicine of all kinds, overseen from the back counter where magazines are
available by one of seven identical sisters. Satomi Sister #7 runs this one; a
techno remix of the store's theme plays here. "The eternal ally of those who
fight: our city's friendly! drug! store!! o/`"

<Pose Tracker> Lisa Silverman has posed.
<poem>
"So that's what's going on?" Lisa Silverman asks Chikarin, thoughtful as she gets an answer to the question she'd asked. "Huhhh..."

"Yep!" Chikarin answers, the blue-haired girl grinning at the idol before her. "Not bad, huh? So, what's yours?"

"...Well," she says, "I overheard at the studio these people talking about..."

Lisa stands out in a crowd, and so does Chikarin, the Rumormonger. The Peace Diner is a warm, yellow-ish sort of place with various booths and a girl at the counter who talks all formal, like period-drama ninja.

Reiya doesn't talk like that, but maybe he would if he weren't being secretive.

There's a little of a line...
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka goes to Sumaru... rather a lot. And she doesn't mind, for the most part, since she wants to support her sister. But that's still a lot of train time, and sometimes it's just easier, after classes and band practice, to eat out here. And it's nice to mix things up every once in a while, so...

> omw onee-chan. Burgers okay?

And so she is here, grabbing burgers. Ririka also stands out in a crowd, not particularly for being famous (though she is a little Known), but mainly for being so ''tall''. Today's dressed in a light jacket, t-shirt, cargo pants, and sneakers, her hair in a ponytail.

She steps inside and... oh, there's a line. Well, that must just mean the food is good, right? She moves to start getting in line, but then pauses as she sees Lisa. Oh, she should go say hi... but the line...
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Lisa Silverman has posed.
<poem>
At least Ichika can drive Ririka home if they want; that's an option. Ichika, of course, answers:

>Sounds great. Bring extra fries?

But here and now, Lisa stands out primarily for being white and blonde, even before people recognize her as an idol. But she also recognizes--

"OK," she says to Chikarin, "Sec, there's this girl--"

She walks over to the line. "Hey... Kawase-san, right?" Lisa inquires. "From the concert?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka will admit getting rides home ''is'' pretty nice.

> Sure thing!

But before she can deliberate, Lisa happens to come to her. "Oh, hey, yeah, that's me. Are... you doing okay?" That was a rather strong last impression...
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Lisa Silverman has posed.
<poem>
Lisa smiles back. "Oh, uh, that."

She rubs the back of her neck as a gesture. "Sorry-ia... I wanted to apologize for storming off. I just kinda lost my temper..."

"But I'm fine, I'm fine!"

"It was just kinda lucky to run into you here, was all."

"So you're back in Sumaru?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
"Oh, there's no need to apologize," ririka says with a hopefully reassuring smile. "You seemed like you were having a hard time, and I don't think Mishina-san was helping things any..." She won't repeat that nickname.

But she's fine. "That's good to hear."

"Eh heh... Yep. I'm actually out here to visit my sister. I'm picking up dinner for us." She nods her head at the line she's in. "You here to pick up dinner, too?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Lisa Silverman has posed.
<poem>
A hard time? "I'm fine," she says again, to make sure it settles this time. "...He kinda drives me nuts," she admits, "But it was his show, so I didn't want to make a scene or anything." It is best not to repeat the nickanme. Even though it's definitely part of her namecard now.

"Oh, your sister? Does she go to school in Sumaru?" Lisa can ask a personal question because she also has a sister!

"I was mostly just in to check in with Chikarin," Lisa admits, gesturing to the girl in the Sevens uniform. "She tends to know what's up when you want to know what's going on in town. You just have to trade her something interesting to know, too."

Pause. "...I could go for a burger, though..."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka will definitely not repeat it! "Okay, okay." If she says she's fine, Ririka won't press on that. "Yeah, I can understand that..."

"Yeah, we're both from Iwatodai, but she wanted to go to school in Sumaru, it's... kind of a long story." She doesn't want to blab her sister's entire life story, but that much is probably safe to say. "But we want to stay in touch, so we make sure to make the time to hang out."

Beat. "... plus she's got a van, now, so I can get rides back, which is kind of nice."

She looks over to the indicated girl. "Oh, I see. Like... a Rumormonger? I've heard of those."

"Well, you're welcome to wait in line with me," she offers with a smile.

There's a beat, and she starts thinking of last time. Her fingers are drumming lightly on her thigh. Should she say something? Is it more awkward to say or ''not'' to say? Oh, heck with it. "Say, I wanted to ask last time... are you Lisa Silverman, from MUSES? I really enjoyed your work in SMILE."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Lisa Silverman has posed.
<poem>
"Ohhh, OK." Lisa smiles. "That's cool. It's important to spend some time together, as sisters. Especially if you're in different cities for school, I guess... Mine is younger, so she's in elementary."

A van! Lisa is surprised by this. "She's already got her license? Quick work for a high schooler."

But, she knows the term. "Eheh. Yeah. That's what we call them in Sumaru, anyway. So you're familiar!"

"Thanks!"

She will. And then--

"Oh! Yeah," Lisa says. "That's me! Thanks! Getting to cameo in a big movie was a lot of fun."

And of course, the songs.

"You're in a group yourself, right? Polychord, was it?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
"Yeah, it is," Ririka agrees of spending time with sisters. "Oh, cool. I'm actually the youngest of our family. Onee-chan is a year older..."

But there'll be a bigger age gap between her and her eventual sibling, huh... she's still thinking about that.

"Is it really that fast...?" Ririka says, pondering. "I hadn't thought about that..."

"I am! I've talked to one over in Hirasaka before, so." Though they were discussing more of the supernatural side of things...

"Yeah, you guys were great. And congrats on getting that cameo!"

Ririka grins a little, "Eh heh, yep. We're less 'idol' and more 'rock'... well, rock and we mix in whatever else we like."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Lisa Silverman has posed.
<poem>
"Oh, cool."

"Yeah! Since you can only get it at 18 for a car like that," Lisa says. "I don't have a lot of need to worry about it, but I know some people who've thought about it. I can walk or take the train most places here in Sumaru."

One in Hirasaka! Cool.

"Thanks!" Lisa smiles. She doesn't seem to know about the supernatural side of things--she certainly doesn't have Resonance. But--

"Oh, yeah, I'm aware. You guys were on TV once though!" So that's a big step. "It's pretty different, right? You get to play whatever you want. But for me, don't tell anybody but a lot of what I like is just getting to dance..."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
"Oh, yeah, I guess that's true... we both just have early birthdays, so, I guess I didn't think about it." Rirka nods. "Yeah, I'm kind of the same. And my train pass is getting a lot of use, I guess," she says with a small laugh.

"You're welcome!" Ririka grins, "Oh, yeah, we were. On sumaru Sundays." She didn't want to bring it up to sound like bragging.

And, well, that moment still brings up a lot of emotions.

"Yeah, we do. I actually write and arrange a lot of what we do, though Tomori-chan helps me out with lyrics a lot..." Don't tell anybody... Ririka nods seriously. "Oh, yeah, I bet that's a lot of fun, too. We don't really do any choreography... That's more difficult, with the instruments, I guess..."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Lisa Silverman has posed.
<poem>
"Seems like!"

Lisa smiles. She doesn't consider it bragging--but then, she ''is'' the one who brought it up. MUSES have more fame than Polychord, so it doesn't feel strange to her to pump Ririka up a bit.

...But she doesn't know about that moment's emotions.

"Oh, yeah? That's really something!" Lisa nods along, as the line advances towards the ninja girl. Almost there...

"Yeah," she says, "Instruments would make that harder, huh? But I guess we've got different lanes, and all."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka kind of appreciates that Lisa is familiar--and not just because it keeps her from having to bring it up herself. It's also nice to know people have seen the band and that they're getting some reach.

"Yep! But I'm kiiind of a music nerd, so... I find that kind of stuff fun? We started with covers and arrangements, but I wanna start doing more original stuff, too. How do you guys develop your songs for MUSES?"

She has to remind herself to keep an eye on the line, but at least they're making progress.

"Yeah, that's true. But that's what makes it good there's so many different types of music, right?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Lisa Silverman has posed.
<poem>
Lisa has to keep up on these things--it's important!

"It's good to know what you're into!" Lisa agrees amiably. "Original stuff... That's most of what we do--though I mean, I'm not a big songwriter or anything. Meeho really wants to write more of our stuff, though!" A beat, "It sorta varies? Sometimes the manager brings us songs and we see if they're good for us, but we get to contribute more to others. We try to 'draw on our own experiences' or at least get the starting points for ideas."

She nods along. "Yes. It's cool! Do you have any of your CDs on you? I could give one to my friends."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
That it is! It's why Ririka tries to keep on top of music news, too.

MUSES is mostly original stuff. "Yeah, that makes sense. But, that's cool! I hope you guys get to do that." But she nods as Lisa says it varies. "I see... I guess that's kind of an advantage, huh? That you get help with getting new material..." But drawing on their own experiences... "Yeah, I've been thinking of that, too... there's some stuff that I haven't really figured out how to talk about otherwise..."

But Lisa asks her for a CD, and Ririka blinks a little. "Oh! Um..." Rirka shrugs off her backpack and digs through it. "I think I have... oh! Here we go." She hands over a hand-burned CD-R in a sleeve, with handwritten notes from the band members. "Here. This is one we sold at the show we did this summer, in Tokyo. I hope your friends enjoy it! Oh, and I can also give you our page online, too. We upload a lot of stuff to share it..."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Lisa Silverman has posed.
<poem>
"Thanks!" Lisa says. "Mm-hm. Having a manager and all, he can make connections for us we wouldn't be able to make for ourselves--and handle bookings, and get us in touch with fans, and all that. It's really helpful. But going it on your own is kind of cool too, right?"

Things to talk about...

"Mm, yeah. Music's good for that, huh...?" She grows distant for a moment--but the CD solves that.

"Thanks!" Lisa answers. "I'll show Sheba and Meeho. But hmmm, how about..."

SHe pulls her phone. "How about we exchange contact info? That way you can give me the website and I can tell you what they think!"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
"It's really cool, but it's als a lot of work, haha," Ririka admits. "We don't have a manager, really, but I do at least ahve someone I can ask for advice, you know? He runs this cool store that sells instruments in Iwatodai. But it took a lot of work to book that show we did... I'm just glad we got a good turnout, to meet our quota..."

"It really is," ririka agrees, also growing distant for a moment. "I've been doing music almost as long as I can remember..."

But Lisa offers, and Ririka grins. "Oh, sure! That'd be awesome." She gets her phone out, and pulls up the contact info to make the exchange. "This is so cool, I'm glad I ran into you again."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Lisa Silverman has posed.
<poem>
"Oh, yeah?" Advice... "That's cool." Their quota! The turnout! Lisa gets it. "Me, too!" She doesn't see any reason not to wish for Ririka's success, after all. But...

It seems they both have some things they aren't prepared to share at the moment.

But once they finish exchanging info, "Me too!" It's time to order!!

...But it did go better than their last meeting.
</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 2]]

2026-04-03: Still Okay

2026-04-09T20:53:58Z

Fureasei: Created page with "*'''Log: Still Okay''' *'''Cast:''' Niko Kirisaki, Kurou Ryouhara *'''Where:''' Naganaki Shrine *'''OOC Date:''' April 03, 2026 *'''IC Date:''' October 19, 2012 (Dark Hour) *'''Summary''': ''In search of support following the death of Tatsuya Sudou, Niko asks Kurou to meet her late at night. In an exchange completely free from any sort of hilarious and/or disturbing misinterpretations on both their parts, they affirm a certain sense of connection. And, somewhere..."

*'''Log: Still Okay'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Niko Kirisaki]], [[Kurou Ryouhara]]
*'''Where:''' Naganaki Shrine
*'''OOC Date:''' April 03, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' October 19, 2012 (Dark Hour)
*'''Summary''': ''In search of support following the death of Tatsuya Sudou, Niko asks Kurou to meet her late at night. In an exchange completely free from any sort of hilarious and/or disturbing misinterpretations on both their parts, they affirm a certain sense of connection. And, somewhere in the middle of it all, schedule something that totally doesn't count as a date.''

----

(|============================= Naganaki Shrine ==============================|)
-================================================== Iwatodai City/Iwatodai ====-
Naganaki Shrine is a piece of tradition in the middle of the city. Long stairs
lead up to a stone-pathed pavilion lined with sacred trees; immediately to one's
left is a children's playground, with slide, see-saw and a jungle gym. The first
part of the shrine proper is the cleansing area, where one washes out one's
mouth and hands in order to respectfully meet the Gods. This done, one may
approach the shrine.

Two lion-dogs fiercely guard the monetary offering booth, where many a student
has come praying for academic success. Off to the side, one may receive a
relationship fortune and tie it off, in hopes of growing closer to a special
someone. To the other side of the shrine are red pillars which lead one to the
/Inari/ Shrine, another place for prayer. One may receive items, here, if items
are sacrificed in turn. Beside the Inari Shrine is a great sacred tree,
protected behind a fence and by a series of tags tied about it from a holy rope;
a sign beside it describes the history of this place, going into the sacred tree
and the Shrine's deity.

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
How quick things can be to change. A mere two days ago, Niko Kirisaki's life was upended yet again, learning of the death of one she'd thought of as the key to a better existence than the one she's consigned to now. But that doesn't mean she'll have to move on. She'll just have to find another way. And for that... she's going to need people on her side.

As much as she appreciates her fellows in Strega... could she really count on them to come through where it's really important, when the chips are down? She's not too sure about that right now. Kind of feels like they'd just abandoned Tatsuya Sudou to, admittedly, the hole he'd dug for himself. Perhaps she should start elsewhere. Talk to others who seemed like their situation might be similar. Someone like...

In the early hours of the morning, Kurou Ryouhara's phone receives a message from the contact properly labelled 'Niko-chan'.

> someone important to me died

Well. She's never been one to mince words. She follows it up with a message that's just three crying emoticons, that must mean she's really broken up about it. Then...

> console me?
> not thru text
> if u catch my drift

She absolutely knows what she's doing with her phrasing. And that since it's Kurou, he absolutely will not. Which is fine, probably better even, no risk of things getting turned around on her. Of course she's just doing this for a laugh, she figures she'll manage to get one out of this either way.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
<poem>
Kurou had been there to witness the death of Tatsuya Sudou, the Joker Killer, though he had not contributed to that death. At least, not that time, the day he died: he had already been challenged on the right to take his life (or not) and conceded the future to those who fought to have it.

Unfortunately, no one had been prepared for the One in the Black Mask. Is this for the better? For the worse? Kurou does not generally consider himself the kind of person to speculate. There is only forward.

But -- that text.

For all Kurou hesitates with texting, Niko does not have to wait long for a reply.

> when and where?

Kurou absolutely does not catch any alternatives to the phrasing. Instead, he considers what might console her grief. 'Nothing' may be the realistic response, beyond the need to have a grounding presence.

But, still, he's sure there's a few things he can load into his backpack that might bring material comfort...

</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Only forward, indeed. And a Niko going forward will be acting... exactly the same way she acted before. Nothing's really changed, after all. If only things ''would''. It just seems like she may have to try a little harder for that to happen. Well, that's fine. It's not like the world will change by just sitting there. But for now... baby steps.

...Her texts didn't exactly suggest this is anything that could be remotely defined as 'baby steps', but, it's Kurou, who doesn't disappoint in being all business about it. Well done on answering quickly for a change, but she can just picture that priceless, clueless look on his face.

> 2nite, naganaki shrine

She wouldn't need to add anything else but perhaps a more specific time. But she has too much fun pushing things not to do that a little more.

> actually
> lets make it the spooky hour

One can imagine her snickering, taking a bit longer to type the next messages.

> i wanna see it
> show it 2 me?
> ill show u mine if u show me yours <3

Kurou's bound to interpret that the exact way she actually meant it. Meanwhile, she gets to have a good laugh at her own deliberate phrasing. Isn't it the best? She thinks it's the best.

And so, a minute or two before the Dark Hour falls... Niko will be standing out in front of the shrine's gate, looking all the world like her usual cheerful self. Even should the Dark Hour arrive before Kurou, her countenance remains the exact same as the world is hued in green. Is she one of those people who acts the same no matter what happens? Well, that shouldn't be too unfamiliar, should it.

Once Kurou does arrive, Niko is quick to greet with the appropriate bright smile and tone, "Heeey, Kurou-chan! Glad you could make it! And on such short notice, I really appreciate that a lot!"

...It's hard to tell on the outside, but she finds her heart skipping a beat in sudden worry. He wouldn't... actually interpret her texts in ''that'' way, would he? She might actually die if that turned out to be the case. Please be Kurou about this, Kurou, Niko begs you.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
<poem>
Niko once comforted Kurou when he thought he lost his own path, and it would be a dishonorable failure not to provide her with the same support. Even if she had not... In a matter as serious as this, one cannot and should not hesitate. Kurou refuses to.

Even if it's a lack of hesitation in a clueless direction.

It does not even phase him as she decides on a spookier hour to meet, speaking around the subject of what he assumes to be Persona. As he removes his school books and study material from his bag to replace with snacks and other supplies, he pauses, then begins to include first aid supplies.

> if that's what you need
> i'll be there

Kurou arrives at Naganaki Shrine the very minute the Dark Hour turns the world into its unnatural shades of green. He has his bag slung over his shoulder, dressed in his usual grey, hooded vest and silk scarf.

"Niko-chan..." he greets, unsure and voice softer than usual. She still wears her cheer, but he does indeed wonder how much she is like himself: something that got stuck, and does not know how else to be, even when the inside is tangled and burning.

He sets his bag down and out of the way, hand reaching for his scarf.

"... You do not need to hold back with me," he tells her. "So... Whether it's a fist, or a blade, or your soul's manifestation of elemental power... Come at me with whatever shape your pain takes."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Indeed, look how stealthy Niko is being with her clever way of speaking around the actual supernatural subjects. That's totally what that was and if anyone happened to see those messages they wouldn't think anything strange about it at all. ...Though really, she's fine with just imagining what would happen if someone saw that. It can stay in her imagination, reality is rarely as good as what she's able to mentally picture.

Kurou's reactions, or non-reactions, are a rare exception. Her imagination can't improve on those. They might even be better in reality.

And it sure is a relief he's as consistent about that as he is. She'd really prefer a non-reaction to some of the things she says just to amuse herself. As odd as it is. He's a teenager too, how could he just fail to spot those kinds of insinuations? He always did give off the impression of being in some way broken. And thus, a kindred spirit.

Thankfully, the moment of silence between them doesn't linger long enough for her to get very worried about that assessment having been wrong. Kurou makes it quite clear that he's ready to give her anything she needs... anything that involves combat, that is. Niko considers a serious reply in turn, she really does, but... she can't stop herself from bursting out into open laughter. That's probably causing a few solid seconds of confusion, before she can collect herself enough to reply with actual words.

"Haaa, oh Kurou-chan... you never disappoint." There are a few residual chuckles, before she takes a breath, and shakes her head. "'ppreciate the offer, but that's not at ALL what I meant. Interesting though, that you immediately went there. I didn't ask for violence, did I? That hard for you to believe that someone might actually just want to ''see'' your Persona?"

Already, an interesting extra glimpse into the mystery of Kurou, in her estimation. Seems like she might as well straight out ask another thing she'd been planning on bringing up later. "You sound pretty used to fighting with your Persona. Or should I say, your 'soul's manifestation of elemental power'. Makes me wonder how deep into this stuff you are. You get in a lot of fights like the one you expected to happen here, Kurou-chan?"

Smile never wavering, she places one hand on her hip, using the other to gesture at him, prompting, "...Weeell? You gonna show me, or what?" She does actually want to see it, and he has to go first of course, that was the deal!
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
<poem>
Plausible deniability is important, and though other Persona users may grasp what Niko is getting at, those unawakened would likely not think the texts too suspicious beyond them getting up to trouble after hours. Granted, it does not seem Kurou is in any way aware of ''what'' sort of 'trouble' is being implied.

And then he goes and proves that.

He blankly blinks his gold eyes at Niko as she descends into laughter, although his fingers do not pull away from the scarf at his throat.

"... Niko-chan?" he ventures in some concern after allowing a number of seconds to pass, wondering if she has found herself pushed over the emotional edge and into delirium.

It is even more confusing to be told that he has, somehow, already achieved something Niko was hoping for. "Not... at all?" Kurou's gaze unfocuses briefly, and then he gets out his phone before remembering the Dark Hour robs it of working. Instead, he's left trying to remember what she said, and how he could have possibly misinterpreted her words.

But Niko's willingness to clarify herself is one of the reasons Kurou is glad she befriended him. Not that she is without her own questions first.

"Yes," he replies without hesitation at the idea that he gets into a lot of fights. "My Persona is not the kind that is fit for any other purpose."

He is not a navigator, in other words. Or... does this simply mean Kurou does not see himself as one with a soul fit for another purpose? Regardless, Niko simply wishes to ''see'' it. Kurou stares at her blankly. Is he searching for a trick or a joke behind her request? Second guessing the idea that he ought to? Catching up on processing the last couple of minutes?

Kurou's face fails to reveal any internal world before he yanks on his scarf, and causes the mechanism within to launch the hidden halo of needles into his throat.

"Gashadokuro."

Reality shatters to give way to the colossal skeleton Kurou calls his Persona: a golem of bones, its limbs and rib cage made up of countless other skeletons itself, and its own teeth made of broken bones. Grave dirt spills from it as it rises: only half of the body emerging, as if crawling from the grave, and yet this still enough to completely tower over him and Niko both.

An eerie chill accompanies its arrival as its fiery peer relentlessly into Niko. For this moment before his Persona fades, Kurou's own otherwise deadened gaze is suddenly a match for that burning intensity.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
This is exactly how Kurou never fails to disappoint. That genuine confusion making it so very obvious how sure he was of having read a situation right, while utterly failing to do. Never mind the alternate reading that should have been the most obvious, even her actual meaning still got misread. What was Niko even worried about, there's no other way this could have gone.

Obviously there'd be no way he'd understand her reaction, either. Not even any point in apologizing for laughing at him, or claiming to be laughing with him, when she's not sure laughing is something he can do. So very interesting. Though the amusement is only a bonus, today, it is always welcome.

Her directness is answered by directness in kind - and she's not entirely sure how to interpret that. But it sure sounds like he's caught up in something, to not bat an eye at the idea of fighting another Persona User. She's pretty sure that something isn't SEES, and she knows it's not Strega... Phantom Thieves, no way, that's not the vibe here. So what does that leave?

"Heh. That so? Not gonna argue that fighting's the most obvious thing Personas are good for. Sure wouldn't know what else to do with mine!" That much she can agree with. Even so, no tricks or jokes here. Just a little impatience, as she prompts him to hurry it up.

Niko gets what she asks for, and... is a little taken aback by it, it seems, by the momentary widening of her eyes, taking a single step back. Then, she whistles, appreciatively. "Thaaat's a lot of skeleton. I see what you mean, probably not the most fun at parties, huh? ...Then again, Halloween's coming, it'd be a big hit there." ...What? Is there a lie here?

She didn't miss that look in his eyes, just then. Maybe he's the type who only feels alive when fighting. And no Evoker, huh. She doesn't suspect there was another trick to it, must be one of those who can do it more spontaneously. Well, that will make her following actions all the more interesting for it.

Niko says nothing, as she takes the Evoker out of the inner pocket of her jacket, calmly placing it against her temple. Even Kurou would react in some way, she'd expect, if he didn't know what one was and only saw it as her putting a gun to her head. Wouldn't stop her from pulling the trigger, either way.

"Ate!"

Blue fragments pour out, and a darker blue tinted, phantom-like manifestation of a giant, statue-like head appears floating behind her. No match in total size to Kurou's Persona as it is, although if there were a body to go with a head that large, Niko might win the size comparison. A mass of dark hair writhes and flutters to the side and behind, its length seeming in a constant state of flux.

Though it too lacks expression and has empty eye sockets, there is a distinct lack of intensity there. It is rather the quiet that's unsettling there - just as much the opposite of Niko's usual bearing as was briefly seen on Kurou's end. Although Niko's own doesn't really change, she's still grinning all throughout.

"Interesting, isn't it, how different these things are for everyone? Apparently it says something about you. Couldn't imagine what." It seems perfectly calm and casual, the way she puts the Evoker away, letting Ate fade as she stretches her arms out over her head. The complete opposite of how eager she actually is, to hear what she really wants to know about.

"So tell me, Kurou-chan... how'd you get yours?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
<poem>
Kurou may not understand Niko's reaction, but she does seem to be ''mostly'' lucid. She lost someone... she may not want to talk about it. This is what she has asked for, so this is what Kurou can provide her. He does not know if will be enough, but...

Maybe it's all right, so long as Niko can still laugh.

But he was well and truly prepared to throw down with her in battle just now. Perhaps part of being off balance is having to reset from his mental preparations for battle tonight. Truly, Kurou would never expect someone simply wants to see another's Persona.

Gashadokuro arrives, and shortly after, Gashadokuro fades. Kurou's eyes soften with its departure. His hand finds his chin as he considers. "A party... I do not think so? But I have never been..."

Kurou squints, trying to picture a festive Gashadokuro. "Halloween..." The word sounds foreign in his mouth. He surely knows what Halloween ''is'', right? But that doesn't mean he's ever celebrated.

It is Niko's turn, and Kurou gives her his full attention. To see is one thing, but she also asked to be witnessed. This could be important to her, too. Even as Niko puts the Evoker to her temple, Kurou remains still and unalarmed. There is not even the smaller tells of a flinch or a step forward in urgency, or even the slight widening of his eyes: he is someone who has seen an Evoker before, and knows how they work.

Ate... Though Ate may only be a head, she is a large head. Kurou does not know if the ''bigness'' of Persona means anything... but those empty eyes... The mirrored opposite of Gashadokuro's burning fury.

"Mm. Interesting..." Kurou is left to consider the implications, unsure. These Persona, reflections of themselves, but... how much? And to what end? It seems dangerous to make too many assumptions, but Ate's gaze, and now Niko's own...

Kurou snaps from his thoughts with Niko's next question. He lowers his arms to his sides, regarding her in several moments of silence. It is rude form to answer a question with a question, but Kurou has never discussed this outright before, and suspects there's a key piece of context he must confirm.

"... Ah. Hm. ... How long did you wander the Dark Hour before you found yours?"

Maybe that's a stupid question. Maybe everyone has the same answer: ''barely at all''.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Niko does genuinely appreciate it, the way Kurou seemed ready to rush to be there for her. Even if what she really wanted was different from anything she's said or made it sound like. She sure hopes she's not wrong about what more she suspects about him.

Honestly, fighting wouldn't have been a bad way to blow off steam. But Niko doesn't feel like she needs to do that right now. Or rather, she's chosen a different approach. Whether that was the best idea... well, if it's not and that ends up making her upset, it's not like she couldn't pivot to fighting after all.

For now, she beholds Gashadokuro, and the way Kurou briefly changes... only to return to his usual self, right down to astonishing her with seeming unfamiliar with the awesomeness of Halloween. She can't let that one slide.

"Oh, Kurou-chan, say it ain't so! Halloween is like, THE time to enjoy spooky things, in whatever way you like to do that. You could dress up like a spooky skeleton yourself and people would go 'what a great costume, well done, Kurou-chan'! Or if you don't want to do that, there's spooky movie showings just about everywhere. Actually, hey, yeah, how about we go watch a spooky movie 'round that time, you up for that?"

...Niko really likes the English word 'spooky' apparently, that's what she keeps saying, 'supuki'. And maaaaybe she got a little carried away in her enthusiasm for that time of year there. That's not what she was here for!

Showing off her Persona wasn't really what she was here for either, although she does take note of Kurou clearly being familiar with Evokers. She didn't expect, nor need, too much of a reaction to the appearance of her own Persona. That was just part of the deal. Makes her question seem more natural, when the topic's already right in front of them.

She frowns, though, when all she gets is another question thrown back at her. "Hey, no fair, I asked you first." The frown doesn't last much longer beyond that, fading with Niko's following sigh, and shrug.

"Well... I guess it's sorta fair. Since I asked you a question I wouldn't be able to answer back."

...How open should she be here? It's difficult to judge, with Kurou not giving her much to go on in regards to his situation. But she supposes she can give him a little bit. Something that would be puzzling to most, just to see if that gets any sort of reaction of recognition.

"...Pretty sure I already had it by the time I got here."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
<poem>
It is a tragic truth: Kurou knows so very little of Halloween's celebrations. Niko does her best to enlighten him as he considers, tapping his chin. "... Skeleton Hero," he says, perhaps nonsensically, of the idea of a costume. Hm. Unfortunately, he does like the idea of someone saying, 'well done, Kurou-chan.' She's got him there.

As for spooky movies, Kurou's head tilts. "... Supuki..." He echoes. "I do not mind, but I'm not experienced in watching movies. I may not be good at it."

How can you not be good at watching a movie?! Kurou simply assumes there must be a way.

Niko -- rightly -- points out that Kurou is not answering her question, and he ducks his head in silent apology. Thankfully, she does answer him despite his rudeness, which seems to prompt him to continue.

"I see. I suppose that really is what it's like for most people." Not quite, Kurou...! But it speaks to his own oddity that he can't quite parse the nuance. "Your question is difficult to answer," he admits. Niko said she cannot answer it herself. Because she does not want to, or because she is not ''able'' to?

"After I died, I wandered in this time as a walking corpse. Something like... the sun no longer making any sense. Warmth no longer being real. Before Gashadokuro it was... difficult to remember. Those years are... fragments and pieces."

It's nonsensical. Clearly Kurou is ''alive'', with a breath and a heartbeat and everything. And while it is true that someone who has not awakened struggles with remembering their time in the Dark Hour -- or in Tartarus and Mementos if it should happen by bizarre circumstance -- it is just as absurd to suggest he was like that beyond a single night, let alone years. Someone like that would surely be hunted relentlessly by Shadows.

"Until..." Kurou's eyes go more hollow than usual, thoughts stalled, and then like a computer rebooting, he continues as if he hadn't paused. "...Until the hunger to be alive again became too great. And... the hatred for those who killed me became too strong. That is when I finally awoke."

</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Everyone likes to be praised, that's a universal truth as far as Niko's concerned. How unfortunate it is that she's been placed in a position where few people are likely to thank her. So get your praise where you can, employing whatever trickery you must, would be her advice. Kurou already seems to have the basics down. Claim to not be good at things, so people are likely to praise you when you do well! Brilliant!

...wait, did he just claim not to be good at watching movies? "...All you gotta do is sit there and watch the moving pictures. Can't really do much wrong there." Hard to even fathom inexperience at movie watching. But hey, he said he doesn't mind going, so she'll consider that a done deal. "Anyway, cool, then let's do that soon!"

...Hang on. Inviting a guy to see a movie... does this count as a date? Nah, can't be, that was... way too casual an invitation, for one thing, didn't feel special enough to mean anything. Besides, it can't count as a real date unless both sides agree that's what it is, there's no way Kurou even knows what a date is. Calm down Niko, you're just saying shit like you always do, why are you even thinking about this? Focus!

Niko certainly tries her best to keep the focus where she wanted it to be, but Kurou isn't making it easy. What was THAT reaction to what she said? She can't tell whether he got it at all!

And then he starts... talking about being dead. That's not the first time. Her immediate impulse is to correct him again, insisting that he's alive.

But, hang on. Maybe she's thinking about this too literally. Kurou definitely doesn't seem like he's mentally all there. Could that be what he means by 'dying'? If she looks at it from the viewpoint of 'no longer being myself', then... isn't that the exact sort of similarity she's been looking for?

Niko is quiet for perhaps a little longer than comfortable after telling a story like that, spinning it in a way where she can make sense of it - or rather, explain it in the way she finds most favorable. Before finally deciding on a way to summarize, speaking more softly and seriously than usual.

"...I think I get it now, what you've been trying to tell me before. Something changed you, against your will. Now you want your old self back, and get revenge against those who took it from you. Does that sound about right? Because if so..."

She places a hand on her chest. "...That's how it is for me, too. This isn't who I really am. They just... trapped me in a body that isn't mine. But I know, I ''know'' there's a way to go back. Back to the way things used to be. It's going to be very difficult, but I won't give up, I'll never give up. So, if that's something you want too, Kurou-chan... then I could really use your help."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
<poem>
Praise is, from Kurou's understanding, something received for mastering tasks. And he does like mastering tasks. ... Even, it would seem, the absolute most basic of concepts. Like movies.

"Just sit there..." Kurou echoes skeptically. Surely there is much more to it than that...? Appropriate snacks. Understanding what is being conveyed. Discussion after...

It would not be Kurou without his own peculiar style of overthinking.

Kurou ''might'' know what a date is in ''theory'', but Niko can be sure Kurou does not know enough in ''practice'' to even begin thinking this could be a possible invitation to one. Such a blissful ignorance leads to a simple nod as Niko confirms their deal. "Yes, when you feel ready."

She may still be dealing with grief, after all. Or will this continue to help?

Unfortunately, one thing Kurou also is demonstratively struggling with is storytelling. The story of his own Persona, or even understanding Niko's own clues... It would not be wrong to interpret all his words as messy and inconclusive. Knowing Niko might try to correct it again, he still states it as a fact of the ''past'', at least. He died.

And Niko finds the heart of it, despite Kurou's disjointed explanation.

Kurou looks back at her, and there's that spark in his eye again, like something burning behind the warm gold of his gaze. It is with the smallest nod that he lets her know she is right.

Yet his gaze dips downward as she explains herself further. Now it makes sense... why did didn't like him saying he was dead, or that she detested pain. Kurou looks to his own hand, rolling his shoulder before opening his hand.

Pain webs through his palm and lances up each finger as they flex outward.

That's just how it is.

Kurou curls in his fingers, one by one, and looks back to Niko.

"... I do not know if my own path has a way back. But... so long as the help you need can take the shape of a blade, then I will help you run it through those who stole your future, Niko-chan."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Sure, maybe Niko simplified the art of movie watching down a bit to its base components. But that's really all that's strictly required, the rest is all a matter of taste. And so she insists, "That's right, as long as you actually did watch the whole movie, then you can't say you failed at watching it, right?" Surely this will all make sense and she isn't just setting herself up for another one of these completely normal conversations later.

Really though, thank goodness for that level of ignorance. It's letting her get away with a lot, and not all of it has to do with amusing herself or avoiding awkwardness. It's increasingly looking like this is going to have practical benefits as well, where it comes to her goal.

She's read the situation right, or so it appears. It doesn't matter whether it entirely matches, so long as it matches enough for the circumstances to feel the same. And with this, she can feel reasonably sure that...

"...I found another. Finally, I found another. I'm so glad... but, I'm also so sorry. You shouldn't... ''we'' shouldn't have to go through something like this."

She wipes at her eyes, trying to stop the threatening tears. Whatever grief she may have been experiencing, it's not until now that she's appeared at all sad. Ironically, it's the most happy she's felt in quite some time. To know there's someone else who'll be able to understand the way she feels, deep down on the inside.

Having found her smile again, she shakes her head. "I'll be happy to have your blade when I need it. But this isn't about just me. Maybe you can't see it yet, but I'm sure that, one day, you'll see what I see. That you're still there, you're still okay. Just a little lost, that's all we are. But we will find the way back. I know we can do it, Kurou-chan."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
<poem>
Perhaps watching a movie can be so simple. Niko makes everything sound so simple... From talking to others, or smiling, or...

Getting back what was taken from them.

So glad and so sorry.

It does hurt a little, doesn't it? How strange...

Kurou can't get the sight of Ate's gaze out of his mind.

Her eyes threaten to cry, and Kurou picks up his bag from the ground again, finding a soft kerchief and some chips and soda leftover from the study session. Something for her tears, and some sweet and salt to keep any crying from grief from hurting the body more than it has to.

He offers her the kerchief, even if it seems her eyes might be more dry than they are wet.

"... Still okay," he echoes thoughtfully.

</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 2]]

2026-03-29: No Time To Grieve

2026-03-29T19:48:02Z

Fureasei: Created page with "*'''Cutscene: No Time To Grieve''' *'''Cast:''' Niko Kirisaki *'''Where:''' Yongen-Jaya - Back Alleys *'''OOC Date:''' 2026-03-29 *'''IC Date:''' October 17th, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''Niko Kirisaki hears of what happened to Tatsuya Sudou, and proceeds to break the stages of grief speedrun record.'' ---- <poem> Outside of the Takemi Medical Clinic, Niko stretches her arms out over her head. How one can miss such a simple gesture, when you haven't been able to do it f..."

*'''Cutscene: No Time To Grieve'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Niko Kirisaki]]
*'''Where:''' Yongen-Jaya - Back Alleys
*'''OOC Date:''' 2026-03-29
*'''IC Date:''' October 17th, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Niko Kirisaki hears of what happened to Tatsuya Sudou, and proceeds to break the stages of grief speedrun record.''

----

<poem>
Outside of the Takemi Medical Clinic, Niko stretches her arms out over her head. How one can miss such a simple gesture, when you haven't been able to do it for so long. Three weeks of healing may be on the short side for recovery to this degree from even a minor fracture, but it sure felt like forever. If nothing else, this body of hers is good for that much. A few experimental punches to the air are plenty to convince her that she's in good enough shape to return to action.

She mentally debates the best way to celebrate while on her way back to the station, when her phone starts to play the peppy ringtone of a popular anime OP. Ducking into a quiet side street, she quickly makes her way through to a nearby dead-end alley that seems private enough for what she knows might be 'work-related', before finally answering.

"Yo, Jin-chan! 'Sup? Arm's all good, sooo if you got something for me--"

Niko's smile gradually melts into confusion as she listens to the other side of the line, before she chuckles. "Haha, good one. Who're you trying to fool? Ojisan can't die!"

Things that would kill the Joker Killer just... don't. It's because he has a job he needs to do, Niko had reasoned. From what she'd been able to piece together from Sudou's ramblings, he is the instrument meant to restore the world to the way it should be. He has a higher purpose, transcending mortality, couldn't die before completing his task even if he wanted to. Jin's got to be pulling her leg here.

"Come ooon, what are you talking about? You can stop now, I'm not falling for it!"

A joke is one thing, but the level of insistence quickly begins to annoy her, cheerfulness soon replaced by a deep frown.

"Ah, geez, enough already! You can't be that stupid, don't even pretend. Whatever your 'information' says - it's wrong. He's just going to pop up again when you least expect it, he always does. You know it, I know it, the ''world'' knows it."

Niko's free hand curls into a fist, anger building with every following word she hears. Until finally, it bursts.

"What the fuck do you MEAN, Jin?! Are you TRYING to piss me off? First that whole revenge bit for something I already got plenty revenge for at the time, and now this? --No, you listen to me, I can handle my own business, alright? Apparently I ''have'' to, you said this was 'information', so you weren't there to actually see what happened to Ojisan. Where were you, huh? Where were ANY of you? I get hurt one time and nobody else steps up to handle what's really important? Why am I the only one who cares about helping him?! It's like you don't even want a better life!"

She takes a moment to breathe, listening to the loud voice by her ear without further argument. Obviously a reaction in anger was going to provoke one back. But, in spite of everything, and the fact that Jin would never admit it... she knows that he cares. He was probably just trying to look out for her, with what he did to Shinjiro. But then, what is he trying to accomplish now, trying so hard to convince her that the Joker Killer really, truly, definitively died?

...No. It couldn't be. Is he actually... telling her the truth? But, if he is, that would mean...

Her demeanor changes abruptly, the color draining from her face. She stands frozen and quiet, even through Jin's voice repeatedly calling out her name through the phone.

"...I heard you," she finally says, far more quietly than before. "But... there has to be some mistake. He told me... we were going to have so much fun together. He promised. That's why... that's why this can't be true. It just can't be. Because, if it was, that would mean I... that all of us are... ...stuck..."

She should have been there. If only she hadn't been careless enough to have gotten injured when she did. If she'd visited the doctor just a little earlier, or chosen to ignore the advice to give her arm rest. There'd have been more she could have done. She could have made a difference. She could have prevented the worst case scenario from coming to pass.

Please. Any gods who might be out there. Let me go back. Give me a chance to make this right.

Her silent prayer goes unanswered. It's too late now. It was already too late to begin with, for this reality. Once something happens, you can't turn back the clock. The only hope is... to escape. To a place where it didn't happen. And the door to that option may just have been closed forever.

Slowly, Niko sinks through her knees, losing all her energy. Though the voice on the other end is still talking, the phone slips from her hand, clattering to the ground. She speaks aloud to herself, now, rather than anyone else.

"...Then, it's no use. There's no more point to trying, is there? If I can't escape this world, then I'll have to keep being this... this... mockery of myself. I don't want that... I never wanted any of this!"

She casts her eyes upward to the sky, a tear running down her cheek as she demands answers from gods who refuse to answer.

"Why? What did I do to deserve this? What am I being punished for? Why did you have to take even my hope away? Without him... what am I supposed to do now?"

To her surprise, that last question receives an answer. Or maybe she just imagined it. There's little difference whether it was divine inspiration or the regular kind, when all you needed was an answer, any answer, in order to keep going. Slowly, her head lowers back down, and she wipes away that tear, expression settling into neutrality.

"...That's right. He did say it. That he was just a means to an end. A replacement, besides. Just a fake, only a tool, not the source. So what is? The True Joker? Or is he ultimately also just a tool?"

A hand goes to her chin, grin slowly forming as her way of speaking returns more to her usual. "Silly Niko-chan. Did you really think it would be that easy, breaking free from a false reality? You thought one guy could do all that for you? Get real. You've been looking at this all wrong. You're not someone who just sits back until other people make the changes you want happen, not here. Take some initiative! You already know what it is that's really gonna get you there, don't you? Hard work and guts! ...Also, information, but mostly hard work and guts."

Thinking about information calls to mind one person. It's strange, she could swear she can hear his voice right now. ...wait a second.

She collects her phone from the ground, bringing it back to her ear as she gets back to her feet. "...Jin-chan? You're still there? ...Yeah, yeah, I'm fine! I'm totally cool, don't worry about it. Listen, I'll call you back, okay? I've got some thinking to do." She hangs up without listening to any objections.

Niko closes her eyes, taking a deep breath before reopening them, determination shining in her eyes.

"Alright, world. You wanna get serious? Let's get serious."
</poem>

[[Category:Cutscenes]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 2]]

2026-03-14: Funtimes With Ojisan

2026-03-16T00:30:52Z

Fureasei: Created page with "*'''Log: Funtimes With Ojisan''' *'''Cast:''' Tatsuya Sudou, Niko Kirisaki *'''Where:''' Morimoto Sanitarium *'''OOC Date:''' March 14, 2026 *'''IC Date:''' October 09, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''Niko finds Sudou having a solo pool party in the very sanitarium he recently escaped from, demanding to know what she got hurt for. Sudou mollifies her by explaining more of the plan in regards to returning the world to the Other Side, as well as the role Jun Kashihara plays..."

*'''Log: Funtimes With Ojisan'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Tatsuya Sudou]], [[Niko Kirisaki]]
*'''Where:''' Morimoto Sanitarium
*'''OOC Date:''' March 14, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' October 09, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Niko finds Sudou having a solo pool party in the very sanitarium he recently escaped from, demanding to know what she got hurt for. Sudou mollifies her by explaining more of the plan in regards to returning the world to the Other Side, as well as the role Jun Kashihara plays in them. Absolutely no death flags are raised in the way the unlikely duo makes plans for future collaborations.''

----

<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Sudou has posed.
<poem>
The days had passed since the Sanitarium was infected by zombies, and the good guys had charged in and they scuffled in the parking lot. It was a whole lot of fun. Then the police came and took away the bodies and helped people and now after a week the only thing left is the police tape on the front door. For those who choose to ignore what it says it doesn't matter.

In the lobby there is a fountain, a large one, very nice and ornate, and at the moment there is a pool mattress 'floating' in it. It might actually be floating if Tatsuya Sudou wasn't laying on forcing it to be pushed to the bottom, and Sudou's back to obviously getting wet.

Sudou doesn't appear to mind the wet though, he has a can of soda with a straw in it, in the little cup holder on the mattress, some sun block rubbed on his nose and is wearing some swim trunks...and the trench coat. It would appear the Joker Killer is taking a nap given the dark sun glasses and the rhythmic breathing.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
What a horrible mess that must have been. Strega is aware of what went down, in regards to Sudou's breakout. It's something that Niko Kirisaki, in particular, may have sought to assist with, normally speaking. It's just that she's just a little sore right now, in more ways than one.

Police tape, of course, is utterly meaningless to her ilk. What matters more is, would the door be locked? Most would check that first of all, including Niko, under normal circumstances. But hey, place is fucked, no one's left to care, and she's not in the best condition nor in the best of moods. Ergo...

Sudou's rest is violently disturbed by the loud crash, following Niko literally kicking down the door. She feels a little better already, it's been way too long since she got to flex her muscles. The reason for which is immediately visible upon laying eyes on her, her left arm in particular.

Said arm must have suffered an injury of some kind, left to rest in a neat sling, held close to the body to keep it still. It cannot be easy for Niko, animated as she tends to be, to have only the hand and fingers were free to move normally. Not to mention the fact that this makes violence quite a bit more difficult, making it hard to do her 'job', such as it is.

But that's not the immediate concern. Especially not after Niko spots Sudou right there in the lobby, just... is he lounging? In the fountain?? Maybe she should just gloss over that part, she has enough to be exasperated about already.

"Holy shit, you actually did come back here. You really don't give a rat's ass about this being the most obvious place to come looking for you, huh?" At least Niko isn't out for blood. Though she does have a bone to pick, so to speak, as she's quick to point out with a gesture to her injury.

"You know, I broke my arm helping you last time." It's a microfracture, but still, broken bone is broken bone. "Stupid risks and consequences are one thing, but I want to know why. Got time to give me some answers, or are you..." She makes a face, at the scene before her. "...Too busy."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Sudou has posed.
<poem>
The door is kicked down and Sudou mumbles something awake. His eyes blink open blurry and trying to see through the shades to who caused it, some one armed person. He hadn't taken any arms, wait is it one arm? Sudou takes the glasses off and rubs his eyes for a moment as he hears the voice but while it sounds like Niko it also doesn't. Niko tends to sound like unicorn and glitter, this Niko sounds, well more like Umie.

Sudou finishes to rub his eyes and he sees Niko, "Oh damn Niko, you got your arm broke?! " Sudou says pointing out the obvious as he lets his sleepy brain catch up to what she had said to him. " Well you know, they'd be stupid to look for me in the most obvious place. Besides, the cops are starting to realize that they can't stop me. At least not the good cops." Sudou smiles as he picks up the soda and sips from the straw.

"Anyways you came all the way so you might as well enjoy the pool. I think there are some sodas around here somewhere. " The Joker Killer sits up a little more and points to a pile of empty cans, that are almost totally obscuring the remaining few cans still awaiting their fate.

Giving a moment for Niko to settle or not, her choice, Sudou tries to remember and fully process her question, "Are you asking me why you helped me last time? I think you might need a mirror for that one, but if you are asking what I did at the art museum, sure I can clue you in. " Still he hesitates for a moment before leaning back on the mattress, "So before I dig into it, why do you think? Remember be honest. "
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Good thing that wasn't said out loud. Niko would not enjoy any Umie comparisons. Still, if she was really, truly, seriously angry she wouldn't even bother talking, so it's not as if there's been a 100 percent loss of goodwill here. She's just taking things a little bit more seriously than usual. She has her reasons. One of those reasons is pretty clearly visible.

"Had to go to a doctor and everything," she complains, even though she did get to meet a doctor who turned out to be pretty cool. Not gonna let on there was any sort of upside to this, though.

Sudou's reasoning for this being ''too'' obvious... sure, she can accept that much as valid. Not so much the invitation, that just causes her to let out a sigh. "Can't really 'enjoy the pool' like this, can I? Any doctor worth their salt would say that's a bad idea." That's the ticket, doctor's orders, nothing to do with the fact that even she can't delude herself into thinking this counts as a pool.

Soda, though. She might as well have a soda. Doesn't even take her very long to spot one, not caring about the empty cans she has to toss aside.

...she forgot about the difficulty of opening a can of soda with one hand for a moment. The way she ends up doing it is sitting down on her knees and holding the can between them while using her good hand to work the pull tab. Little awkward, and it spills a bit over her legs, but like heck was she going to ask for help with it.

Remaining seated on the floor, she gets back to business. "Yeah, that part is what I wanna know about. What were you trying to do with that painting? If you want me to be honest, kinda looked like that was all just a ruse to get that Jun guy." A pause, to take a sip of soda. "What'd you do with him, anyhow?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Sudou has posed.
<poem>
Sudou looks around at the fountain and then back at Niko for a moment, he had considered her maybe soaking her feet, not a lot of swimming room. Still if it was doctor's orders. For a moment he sits and listens to her questions and at the mention of Jun, his mattress pops.

It is totally unrelated obviously but as Sudou tries to figure out the answer about Jun he slowly deflates to only end up sitting in the fountain water. " Um so Jun. " He starts and then looks away for a moment before he goes back to the first question, what was he trying to do with that painting. " So the painting, what was I trying to do..." Sudou rubs his chin as he looks at the water around him. Taking a moment he moves back his sleeve to show his mark. "I was going for the world record of giving the most tattoos at one time. " He chuckles at that for a moment before adding. "I was trying to spread my best friend's influence to all who laid eyes upon the painting. You see I found out that my dad does it for his crew by showing them a mummy, so I figured why not the painting. "

Looking at the water and running his finger through it, " Unfortunately they stopped it, I didn't expect that. Sides, seems it didn't work anyways. Guess I need a mummy. " Sudou says not quite getting back to Jun.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Soaking her feet might have been an option, if Niko was in a mood for it. Except that, Niko really likes to swim. Even had this been much of a pool, getting to do no more than sit there soaking her feet would only be an unpleasant reminder of what she'd rather be doing, but is now unable to.

There's some kind of metaphor about her life in there.

With no objections, she's free to do things her way, and get to the reason she's here. It would be hard not to notice the hesitation in regards to Jun. Is he really just going to avoid the subject, even now? What IS it about that guy and Sudou? Jin can find out information on just about anything, but nobody she knows has been able to piece that together. More than a little vexing, especially now that it feels she got seriously hurt because of that strange obsession.

But the painting, sure, they can talk about that first. At least it sounds like there actually was a plan beyond Jun, which does a lot to reduce her annoyance levels. "Huh. That how it's done? Weird shit." She does know about Sudou's 'best friend' the voices, and the tattoo being somehow involved. She doesn't really need to know more than that. Her interest is more specific.

"So how does any of that tie in with bringing things back to the Other Side?" That's always been what it's all about with her. Despite not having a Mark herself, she's always supported the idea. Just like the voices said she would.

Even so, she's not forgotten about Jun. She'll circle back around to that, if Sudou doesn't.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Sudou has posed.
<poem>
Sudou nods his head happy to finally be getting to where it was all going, the villain monologue he didn't get to give earlier. Standing up, the water barely reaching the midway of his shins (curse of a tall person), he begins to walk as he talks. "OH that's the genius of it. You see the idea is that if I gave my friend more friends then even if some of them disappointed us, then maybe we would get more to help with the cause. "

Sudou paces enough that he steps out of the fountain and onto the concrete side, "You see I am but a man army, and I do greatly appreciate all the help Strega has given, I recognize that if there were more of me I'd make better progress." Sudou makes a grand gesture as if to signify just how many people he thought it would be. " Then a small group of them being a part of the art world could continue to spread the painting around the world. More and more of me until we were all charting forward to fix the timeline. " Sudou pauses for a moment, " It, would have been glorious. " The killer wipes an imaginary tear from his eye as he thinks about what could have been.

Sudou's excitement deflates as fast as the pool toy as he sighs and just sits on the side, " So I saw the way the wind was going and I was at least going to kill a few people on my way out. That's when the consolation prize offered himself up. You see that boy, the one you can't understand why I am focused on. He is the real Joker, I am simply the stand in. "
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Niko's happy to give a guy an opening for a good villain monologue. She knows how that is, she loves to go on a rant if people give her half a chance. And if one happens to be about her favorite topic, of course she's just as happy to listen in rapt attention.

...Even if she hopes Sudou wasn't talking literal copies. She could see him being cool with that, but Niko has an appreciation for people's individual uniqueness. One Joker Killer is cool, a dozen just makes the whole thing as confusing as it would be boring. Even if she can't argue how efficient it might be, for the purposes of bringing about the end goal.

"Bummer," she can't but agree. "Wonder why it didn't work. Seems kinda random, needing a mummy of all things for that sorta thing." She shrugs. "But what do I know, there's so many random things happening in this world. And so many of these weirdos just going with it, thinking it's all real. Fucked up, man." Really, how much more obvious could it be that things aren't the way it should be?

But the real bomb doesn't drop until the end. Here she was just thinking about multiple Joker Killers... and it turns out there were more than one all along? And one of them is ''that'' guy?? She doesn't make a secret of her confusion, staring blankly for a few seconds before shaking her head.

"Wait wait wait. HE was supposed to be doing what you are?" She considers a moment, unable to quite work out the full picture. "He seemed so boring though. Are you sure he would help? Could he?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Sudou has posed.
<poem>
Sudou nods his head and considers how to paint the picture for a moment, "You ever know someone that says so and so is their best friend and the other person says that the first person is their best friend. Only for it to be understood between both of them that one of them is settling because their real best friend isn't around. Yeah thats the weird triangle I am in and I'll let you guess who is who here." Sudou looks at the ground with a heavy sigh, having been reminded recently just how true that really was.

"Jun Kurosu was an amazing leader and would have given Strega so much to play with. Unfortunately in this timeline, Jun Kashihara exists instead. Despite all my effort, he is ....a disappointment." Sudou frowns a little more at the ground, " So much time wasted. "

Looking up Sudou smiles at Niko, "I should have listened to my Strega friends. "

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Well, that picture sounds an awful lot like the kind of thing that happens in school. Not really the kind of scenario she would have associated with being part of the adult world. Aren't they supposed to like... be adults about that sort of thing? Whatever, not her problem, at least that makes it easy to understand.

"Sounds like you got it rough, Ojisan," is the way she chooses to summarize. "Hang in there!" Even if she's simplifying, that's genuine sympathy, still. Not something the Joker Killer gets a lot of, she imagines. Nothing wrong with giving him a little encouragement when he's down. After all, she does need him to come through, where it comes to returning the world to the Other Side.

"Kurosu..." she muses. She'll need to look into that, but she'll be able to figure out how that name relates to Jun, later on. Harder for her to imagine Jun being anything but a disappointment, but still. If Sudou's saying it, she should take the possibility seriously. "Well, hang on, might still be something we can do there. Why don't you leave that to me?" Her grin is confident enough, if nothing else. "I can be very convincing when I want to be."

Naturally, she is all too keen to reinforce the vote of confident in his Strega friends, Niko giving a thumbs-up in response. "Hell yeah you should've! I'll--" Hang on, reel in that enthusiasm a bit. "...Well, right now I'm not gonna do too much of anything, but once I get the all clear on this arm, I'll be back to showin' 'em what for. We'll get this shit done right yet, don't you worry 'bout that!"

Looks like Niko's back to her normal self. In as far as the word 'normal' applies to her in any way. But then, that was never the hard part, was it? All it takes is telling her what she wants to hear.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Sudou has posed.
<poem>
Sudou smiles and stands up stretching, "Damn right I should leave it to you. I should have done that with a lot of things. " He glances around at the Sanitarium. " I got to do a thing soon at the aerospace museum, so I don't think you will get to help with that. BUT! But, after that I promise to work with Strega more and stop doing my own thing."

Walking over to the last lone can, Sudou reaches down and claims it, "You know. I think I am going to talk to Takaya of claiming this place for us. There are hundreds of room, a real kitchen and cafeteria, and if you ignore the blood stains it would be great. " Sudou peers around a little more.

Looking back at Niko he smiles, "Thanks for coming to hang out with me by poolside, I look forward to doing it again."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Yesss, more faith in Niko, that'll give her all the motivation she needs. She did do her best to show how serious she is about her support, it's about time Sudou noticed she can and will get things done. "Done deal, I'll look into a few things so I'll be ready for action once you're done with your whatever it is!" Strega may be all about doing your own thing, she gets it, but she for one is looking forward to more actual teamwork.

Slamming back her own soda, she casually tosses it over her shoulder, adding it to the scattered pile. "Man, you know what, that's a great idea, no one's gonna want to be around here anymore after what went down. Solid hangout, bet they left lots of stuff behind that we could use, too." Who's gonna be bothered by a few blood stains, phsaw. As an afterthought, she considers, "Guess we're gonna need a new door then." That sounds like a whole lot of not her problem.

With a little hop, she's back to her feet in no time flat, using the good hand to make a fingergun gesture. "Any time, dude, same here. Looking forward to more funtimes with Ojisan~"

that sounds so wrong Niko are you ''trying'' to give people the wrong idea?
</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 1]]

2026-02-18: The Key to Trust: Goth Punk

2026-03-16T00:27:32Z

Fureasei: Created page with "*'''Log: The Key to Trust: Goth Punk''' *'''Cast:''' Tae Takemi, Niko Kirisaki *'''Where:''' Takemi Medical Clinic *'''OOC Date:''' February 18, 2026 *'''IC Date:''' September 27, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''Following https://www.velvetroom.wiki/index.php/2026-02-13:_Portrait_of_Nyarlathotep the altercation at the art gallery, the lingering pain in Niko's arm prompts her to visit a doctor. Dr. Takemi is the one to diagnose her injury - and makes quite the impressi..."

*'''Log: The Key to Trust: Goth Punk'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Tae Takemi]], [[Niko Kirisaki]]
*'''Where:''' Takemi Medical Clinic
*'''OOC Date:''' February 18, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' September 27, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Following [[https://www.velvetroom.wiki/index.php/2026-02-13:_Portrait_of_Nyarlathotep the altercation at the art gallery]], the lingering pain in Niko's arm prompts her to visit a doctor. Dr. Takemi is the one to diagnose her injury - and makes quite the impression on Niko in the process, resulting in her being a little more honest than usual.''

----

<Pose Tracker> Tae Takemi has posed.
<poem>The Takemi Medical Clinic in Yongen-Jaya may be out of the way, a little dingy and shady, and not frequented by most people, but it is cheap and more importantly, no questions asked, basically ever.

The entrance hallway takes one towards a divider window, adorned with posters and fliers, including public service posters with morbid designs, such as teddy bears stabbed with syringes. A red plush couch is to the side for waiting, underneath a bulletin board.

Past the divider sits a woman, boredly looking at paperwork. This is Doctor Tae Takemi, who is dressed more like a goth punk in a white medical coat than she is an actual high-class doctor. She wears a spiked choker and too many necklaces, her legs are completely bare in her short dark green dress, and those heels look killer. She has short navy blue-black hair, and reddish-brown eyes.

At one point, she takes a sip of a canned coffee, but otherwise, she's waiting for either appointments to come around, patients to show up, or time to close up.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
"Go to a doctor??"

It may be the most incredulous Niko ever sounded in response to something anybody told her. Even though it had been a perfectly sensible suggestion. And more likely to have actual results than Niko's solution to suffering discomfort: whining about it, constantly. Even now, she still hasn't acknowledged that crashing through a wall may have caused a serious injury. In her world, pain is supposed to go away quickly on its own, not keep getting worse.

But, Jin got tired of listening to it, so now she's here, in alleys far from the ones she's used to hanging out at, double-checking the address she was given. She makes a face. "Really? Here? You sure about that?" As if anyone could answer, she came here by herself. She sighs, and shakes her head. Might as well, now that she came all this way. If it sucks, she can always walk out.

Upon entering, the immediate surroundings don't really do much to boost her confidence. So much for putting patients at ease. She's just gonna ignore those posters now and just look straight ahead, marching directly up to the service window. So here's this absolute punk of a girl with muscles for days, walking up with an expression like she wants to punch somebody--

Only for her eyes to go wide when she sees the person sitting there. She was only given a basic description of Tae Takemi, enough for her to put together that she must have the right person. This ''style'', though. Almost makes her forget to say something, it takes her a few seconds.

"...Oh. Hey."

She's still not entirely there. Way to leave out the important parts of who she's going to be dealing with. Right, focus, Niko.

"Man. They told me you were cool. They didn't tell me you were like, ''cool'', cool. Hell of a look you got rockin' there, doc."

Normally, this is where she'd fingergun using both hands. She only uses her right to do it, this time. To a trained eye, it's probably already obvious that she's consciously sparing her left arm before she gets around to saying anything about it.

"So, uhh... I don't have an appointment or nothin', but, guess I busted up my arm somehow." 'Somehow', indeed. "That something you could take a look at?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tae Takemi has posed.
<poem>Maybe it's not the most reassuring. But Tae's never been the most reassuring.

As the door opens, and someone walks down, she snaps her head to attention. She's not unused to getting punks, though she's somewhat unused to the compliments about her style.

Niko gets a wry grin in return for it and the fingergun, before an answer to her issue. She's noticing she's sparing her arm, so Tae instead puts the paperwork down and looks over to her.

"You're in luck, I have an opening for right now," she says sarcastically, because no one booked for this time slot. There's a pause.

She's getting the vibe this is less than legal. To be fair, she gets that with *most* patients.

"Normally, I'd technically need some paperwork done, some prior medical history, but if it appears to just be an arm injury, I can just take you to the back right now, and we can discuss everything relevant there."

It's better to work with the patient than let them avoid medical care. If they're coming to her... they must be in real need.

"I'll need a name, though, just to make it easier for both of us. Last, first, or both, whatever you prefer." Another wry smile. "I'm Doctor Takemi, for the record."

As if that wasn't obvious.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Niko answers the grin with the brightest of smiles. What a stark contrast with the thundercloud that walked in here moments ago. Looks aren't everything, but they do appear to weigh considerably strongly for the purposes of Niko's immediate disposition. She had an entirely different mental image for the word 'doctor', which... well, there probably isn't anyone in Strega who couldn't imagine being a little apprehensive about doctors.

Apparently reassured enough that this is going to be fine now, Niko's abruptly dropped all tension, giving a thumbs-up with her good hand on getting the affirmative. "Rad."

She probably isn't helping the 'is this legal' vibe by her casual, "Yeeeah, checking it out here's fine, I'd appreciate things to be off the books if you don't mind. That's the regular 'cool' part, you're cool like that too, right?" Clearly she was told Certain Things about Dr. Takemi.

Names, though, that's no problem. "I'm Niko! Niko Kirisaki, but, I prefer just Niko." Apparently she's not going to insist being on a -chan basis in this particular circumstance. She does still make an attempt at her own brand of Friendliness, all the same. "Gotta say, Tae is an incredible name, it'd be a waste not to use it. Love the sound of 'Tae-sensei', don't you?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tae Takemi has posed.
<poem>Well, that was a change. It turns out being goth punk is the key to certain people trusting doctors. Tae thinks maybe more doctors should embrace it...

"Off the books... I can arrange that," Tae says with a nod. That is indeed how she's cool. She'll stand up, moving to go around the divider wall through a door and start to lead Niko through the side door, to an examination room in the back. There's a large dingy boiler, there's more of those morbid posters, and there's medical posters and such on the walls that do make it moderately at least seem as if she's a doctor.

"If it makes you more comfortable, feel free to call me that, Niko." Tae says, very laissez-faire. "Don't worry, I don't bite too much."

She'll take a seat in her chair, gesturing to the bed for Niko to take a seat herself. "So, tell me the problem. How long has your arm been hurting, and where does it hurt?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
"Cool," goes Niko's confirmation of the coolness. Best to not leave tracks, unless you specifically want people to know you've been somewhere. Avoiding as much hassle as possible is a good policy. And nobody likes paperwork, anyway, isn't she nice to spare the good doctor some busywork?

Niko's bright and cheery demeanor does dim a little bit going into the examination room, nervousness shining through. Don't think about the last time you saw things resembling certain elements of the room. Just focus on the cool doctor. It'll be fine. Telling herself these things only works somewhat. But for her money, Tae's bedside manner is excellent, finding herself grinning at Friendliness Confirmation, and then chuckling at the joke.

"Yeah, I know the rules. If I want more biting, I'll ask." ...Well, presumably they're both joking.

Relaxed enough to hop onto the table without complaint, Niko brings her painful arm to the fore. The fact that there's a problem and where it is, that much is easy enough to see at a glance, due to a very visible swelling on her lower arm, near the elbow.

"I kinda fell on it a couple days ago," she only tells half the story, "Ever since then it's hurt like hell. Swelled up like that, pain just kept getting worse."

She is silent a moment, internally debating whether to say anything about her more... unique circumstances. But she's already decided this doctor is cool. Best to come clean now, make sure she's got the full picture.

"...Since this is all off the record and everything... I'm kinda, built different, if you couldn't tell. Not for nothin', but I'm not used to this sorta thing. Injuries normally go away quick, like real quick. This isn't... normal, for me."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tae Takemi has posed.
<poem>For her part, Tae grins lightly at Niko's return joke, before taking a look. That's definitely swollen. There's things she's not being told about how it happened, but she doesn't care.

Though, her eyes are confused as Niko says she's built different. She's not attuned to the supernatural at all, but she does nod once. Faster healing on the level Niko is talking about is impossible to picture, but Tae is taking her at face value, at least.

"I'm gonna need to ask some questions, then. Just some stuff to see where you're at."

She straightens up and wheels closer, looking over how badly it's swollen. If it's near the elbow...

"How badly does it hurt? Throbbing, sharp, aching?"

"What's your range of motion like?" she then asks, and will do some basic tests, see how Niko can stretch it and bend it, when it hurts. "Any feeling in your fingers gone?"

Finally, she'll gesture. "I'll need to check it. It shouldn't hurt too awfully, if we're lucky." If Niko agrees, she'll move to feel the injured area acknowledged, doing palpations for the sake of seeing just how badly it hurts, and if there's any specific point it hurts the worst.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
The fact that Niko is 'built different' is if anything, more of an indication that she's far from telling the full story here. Exact circumstances aside, there's reasonable assumption for it being more serious than a sprain.

Questions, then. Niko nods, questions are fine. Though she has a visible reaction to Tae wheeling closer. It's only a mild start, but still, there's a nervousness there that hasn't entirely gone away. Asked to describe the pain, Niko takes a second to think about how to best describe it.

"It's mostly a sharp pain when I move my arm, it does feel like it's throbbing a bit after that. But it aches constantly, more like a dull ache when I keep still." That's the real torture for Niko. Having to sit still.

As for the range of movement, "I can move it fine, but... not without it hurting when I do this." There's a clear wince when she bends the arm, stopping short of doing so all the way. "...Doesn't feel great bending it back, neither." She flexes her fingers without issue. "Hand and fingers feel pretty much normal. Just the arm that feels kinda weak, in general."

Next is... ah. A physical examination, of course. That makes sense. Niko doesn't object to it, only taking a breath before nodding. She braces for it, tensing up slightly as Tae starts touching the area. It's immediately obvious that the pain is fully centered around the swelled area - when the point of swelling is nearly reached, Niko's jaw tightens and there's a slight instinctive movement to pull her arm back, though she ultimately keeps it mostly in place. "...yeah that's where it starts to really hurt," she needlessly confirms.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tae Takemi has posed.
<poem>Tae isn't unused to people being nervous around doctors. A lot of the patients she sees are. But she's only trying to help.

After the tests and the physical check, which thankfully ends soon after Niko shows real pain, she takes a moment to consider.

"You said you fell on it," she says with a voice of 'if that's close enough to the truth, fine'. "Did you hear any snapping, cracking, things like that? It could be a microfracture, if not just bruising and soft tissue injury. Unfortunately, I can't do scans to confirm either way, *especially* off the books, but if that's the case, it's easy enough to deal with for now."

A pause, as she considers. "I'll prescribe an ice pack, a sling, some light pain medicine like loxoprofen, and you minimizing activity. You'll need to rest it, or it'll get worse. If it does get worse, come back to see me and we'll consider our next steps."

Tae wheels back to her desk to consider payment. She'll take cash, luckily, which is probably the best way to handle it in this situation.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Even if she couldn't say she likes all aspects of it, Niko at least seems interested in Tae's approach. Tae may not know it, but it says a lot that she's stopped joking around and being so cooperative. She's also very curious about the assessment, not taking her eyes off the doctor while she self-deliberates.

And then she asks about the sound at the time of the incident. There's a very telling, sheepish 'ummm', the kind you just know is going to precede some kind of wild excuse for not noticing.

"...I couldn't really hear anything over the sound of the wall collapsing."

Why not, might as well be honest about it. Even if that might raise even more questions, Tae hasn't been the asking the ones she was really worried about. It's probably fine.

Still, Niko's more than used to taking lumps, and being just fine. To hear that it could be a fracture of any kind actually has her chuckle. "You're kidding, right?"

She is not kidding. When Niko figures that out, her face falls, momentarily. "No way." And yet, rather than concerned, she ultimately seems sooner fascinated, staring at that spot as if straining to see beyond it. "...That's what it looks like when you break a bone...? Wish I could see..."

Alas, scans are not in the cards, it seems. Not that that's typically possible outside of a hospital, but, Niko hoped, apparently. She doesn't object the conclusion, except for the predictable part.

"Minimize activity? I don't--" She reels her kneejerk reaction back in, nuancing it a bit more. "I don't know if I can, that's... not always up to me." Still, perhaps surprisingly, Niko is ill inclined to argue with doctor's advice. She'll just have to do her best, in taking it easy... hoping she won't be stuck like that for too long. Even if she's apparently aware enough to realize, "Man... this could take weeks."

Niko did bring cash, for the full non-traceability of her visit here. There's no complaints from her in that regard. However, she does ask a bit of an unusual question, right there at the end.

"Hey, Tae-sensei... was it hard, becoming a doctor?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tae Takemi has posed.
<poem>Tae's eyebrows rise as she says the wall collapsed. It'd be a weird lie, so she believes it, but chooses to push it out of mind a little bit rather than ask any of the thousands of burning questions. it might be more or less reassuring that she just nods.

As Niko glances fascinated at her arm, Tae tilts a hand. "If you could see it, we'd be in a lot worse of a situation."

But the kneejerk reaction to minimizing activity, the fact it's not always up to her, her demeanor and dress... is she in a gang? Or something like that? She looks the type, though her immediate thoughts are probably far from the truth. "I'm not going to encourage activity, but if you do have to use it, just be careful. You don't want to permanently damage it."

Though, as Tae rattles off the price and they start dealing with cash, a question is asked. Her eyes widen a little more, as she considers.

"...in many ways, yes. Besides grueling education, sexism, and the like, the state of the medical industry is, plainly, a mess and has been for a while." She's honest. Niko looks like she can take it. "Too focused on tradition and bureaucracy than actually trying to help people. Too focused on old men and their whims."

A pause, though, as she moves to answer the potentially unanswered question there. There's a lightly personal tinge, as if she's saying something dear to her heart, not just recited.

"But medicine can save lives. So I think it's worth it, if one can cut it."

She's still trying, even after everything she's ruined, after all.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Niko thinks it's for the best that Tae just nods. She couldn't relate, she's curious to a fault, and can't help but run her mouth more than she probably should. But it's nice, when people can just accept the things you say. She doesn't get that a lot.

When Tae does comment on her arm examination, Niko chuckles with slight discomfort. "Uh, yeah, not... quite like that. More like, with X-Ray Vision." That's probably a power that exists, why wouldn't it, there's some crazy ones out there.

Niko could deny being in a gang with a straight face. That's not how she sees Strega. Still, she can't always predict what comes on her path. If someone's looking for a fight, what's she supposed to do? Say 'I can't right now, my arm hurts'? That's just not happening, even if she thought she could get away with it. Might be best to try and lay low for a bit. "I sure don't," she says on risking permanent damage. This is no time to be stubborn.

Niko wouldn't ask questions if she wasn't looking for an honest answer, so that much is appreciated. Even if she's clearly dismayed by it sounding like so much of a struggle. "Damn. That's what it's like here, huh..."

And yet. Tae thinks it's worth it. Niko's expression brightens instantly. "Yeah! That's right, you're helping people, like every day, I think that's wonderful! For what it's worth, I think you're a great doctor, so I hope you'll keep at it!"

For a time, it seems as if that was all she's going to say about it. But as she finishes her payment, and turns towards the exit, she muses aloud, "You know, once upon a time... I was going to be a doctor."

'What might have been' is not something she much likes talking about. She was just reminded, that's all. She doesn't wait for a reaction before making her way to the door... where she briefly pauses again, as she places her hand on it, moments before exiting the clinic.

"If I can set things right... maybe it's not too late."
</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 1]]

2026-03-10: Creativity

2026-03-11T19:07:34Z

Fureasei: Fixed up the Log Muncher weirdness

*'''Log: Creativity'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Ayame Watanabe]], [[Maya Amano]]
*'''Where:''' Kazusa's Atelier (2XSlash, Aoba)
*'''OOC Date:''' March 10, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' October 07, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Maya and Ayame go into Kazusa's Atelier to try to investigate and understand what's going on with it. They get some fun out of it, but also understanding of a girl's troubles...''

----

MONAD: A party led by Ayame Watanabe has begun the event Kazusa's Atelier: The Neo-Lunar Palace.

(|============= Monad - Kazusa's Atelier: The Neo-Lunar Palace =============|)
-==== Round 1: First Strokes - Challenge Level 1 ============================-
| Approach Options: Academics or Proficiency |
| Conditions: Skillful - Proficiency Up L1 and Stupor - Academics Down L1 |
-==== Challenge =============================================================-

You emerge in the courtyard of a grand palace. The palace towers, as if it
were reaching out to touch the night sky itself. It is made of gleaming
white stone and metal with silver ornamentation, and pulses of multi-colored
light race all over its surface.

In the sky behind the tallest tower, a pitch black void sits, ringed with
crimson fire, casting everything in a red light. From that ring an inky
blackness spreads, slowly consuming the night stars in the sky. And in the
center of the crimson ring, in the highest tower, something glints like a
red gem.

As you take all that in, a bitter, frigid wind urges you towards the open
gates of the palace for shelter.

The inside of the palace is lit by floating orbs of light encased in silver
and glass fixtures, and multi-colored pulses of light that trace intricate
patterns on the ceilings and walls. The halls appear deserted, but in the
distance comes a low, predatory growl. It steadily gets louder until a door
opens and someone urgently beckons your group inside, the door slamming shut
just before the growling was about to catch up.

You find yourself in a brightly lit workshop. The walls are lined with
shelves of different kinds of miniature but life-like statues, from humanoid
to beast to robot to mythical creature and beyond, all in various states of
completion. Your savior is a Sanguin Humor, an owlgirl with startlingly
bright yellow eyes and brown and gray feathers woven through her hair,
garbed in a red and black robe.

She explains that the palace isn't safe, and that strange things have been
happening ever since the imposter Princess took over: their Sister Star is
trapped in a never-ending eclipse, the sky turns dark, and monsters roam the
halls. The real Princess must be trapped at the top of the palace, but the
way up is blocked by a barrier. If you were to bring an offering of a
vessel, however... that might help you get to the highest parts of the
tower. After all, it is what the Princess loves doing most, so the owlgirl
Sanguin Humor urges you to follow her example.

The Sanguin Humor demonstrates by sitting down at a round workstation inlaid
with purple runes and a flat, obsidian-black disc on it. A wireframe springs
into life above it, and at her touch it is molded and shaped. A touch of a
rune on the workbench places a holographic paint brush in her hand, and she
starts to paint in skin, hair, and other details. When she finishes, she
picks up the disc and a new miniature statue is posed on top.

The Sanguin Humor hands your group a fresh disc, and there are a number of
other workstations. Your Academics could help with working out the controls,
while Proficiency will surely help with the creative process itself.

OOC: As a group, you'll be collaboratively creating a character! For this
round, don't worry about clothing or other embellishments; those will come
in later rounds. If you need some inspiration to get started, you can roll
on a table at
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Tir5tjha7KiTvF26HQYarS7s1imdmbdbXVTuf8_u
VbY/edit?tab=t.0.

(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
<poem>
With the Tie acquired from a friend, Ayame and Maya went to the internet cafe, and have logged in to the network...

As they emerge in the Atelier, Ayame looks around curiously. "A tower..."

Ayame's in blue today, in good spirits. The afternoon outside is replaced by the strange 'weather' in here.

"Reminds me of a game," Ayame comments thoughtfully. "I suppose that's not so unusual for a young girl's heart..."

But the bitter wind sees her go, "Brr!" and head inside. Once there, she looks at these pulses of light, the intricate patterns--and then that growl in the distance. "We might have to fight--"

Instead, they're brought in by an adorable owlgirl. She starts to explain...

"I thought so," Ayame says after the explanation. "She loves games! Well, I can work with that! Have you ever made a character like this?" Ayame wonders to Maya.

"It's easy; we just have to decide what we want her to look like and some intereting traits. I think dwarves can be very cozy, but I also like elves. On the other hand, someone with dragon features offers a lot of creativity..."

Ayame will help lead the process, but she's msot interested in how Maya wants to express. Is this weird?

Well, it's a little weird.
</poem>

MONAD: Ayame Watanabe has acted with Tutorial toward First Strokes! Diligence and Patra!

<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
<poem>
"I played Dobutsu no Mori when I was a kid, but we never had customization like this!" Maya looks extremely excited. "Do you think we can make a half-elf, half-dragon? Maybe elf ears--" Maya demonstrates by holding out a finger near the top of each ears, as if to demonstrate extending them. "--with dragon wings?" Maya flaps her hands open-and-closed quickly to mimic the beating of wings.
</poem>

MONAD: Maya Amano has acted with Academics toward First Strokes! Base!

(|============================ Monad - Results =============================|)
-==== First Strokes - Round 1 ===============================================-
Maya Amano Academics Success
Academics Base Fatigue: 0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ayame Watanabe Proficiency Success
Tutorial Diligence and Patra Fatigue: 0
-============================ Party Conditions: =============================-
Starting Conditions: Skillful-2 and Stupor-2
Final Conditions: Skillful-1
-====================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====-
-==== Reach: 1/6 |= | ===================================================-
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

MONAD: Ayame Watanabe has drawn a new Challenge!

(|============= Monad - Kazusa's Atelier: The Neo-Lunar Palace =============|)
-==== Round 2: Finishing the Finery - Challenge Level 1 =====================-
| Approach Options: Charm or Understanding |
| Conditions: Bothersome - Charm Down L1, Skillful - Proficiency Up L1, and |
| Soft - Understanding Up L1 |
-==== Challenge =============================================================-

As you leave the workshop with your brand new vessel, the Sanguin Humor
tells you to seek inspiration as you make your way up the Palace to the
Manifest Gallery--you can use more of those workstations to add more to your
vessel as you go.

Thankfully the palace has teleporter pads that will help you ascend rapidly,
instead of having to climb endless stairs.

You eventually enter another workshop bustling with activity. There are
several Flegmat Humors here--catboys and catgirls--wearing elaborate
tuxedos, masquerade outfits, and even a magical girl in the corner. One
owlgirl Sanguin Humor is moving quickly between them, looking harried. She
has a tablet in hand, and as she attends to each costume a holographic
display with various sliders and other controls allows her to adjust the
costumes in real time.

The Princess loves to arrange performances, she explains, but there's so
much work to be done before the next one can be ready. You could just leave
her be, but...

There's another one of those workstations by the other exit. Maybe if you
used your Charm to flatter her efforts, or used your Understanding to
empathize with her overwork, she'd give you the pattern for one of those
costumes to add to your vessel.

OOC: Deck your character out in elaborate ballroom garb, or as a magical
girl or boy! If you need inspiration, you can roll against the table at
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Tir5tjha7KiTvF26HQYarS7s1imdmbdbXVTuf8_u
VbY/edit?tab=t.4udaqg4u09bm.

(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
<poem>
"Oh, fun!" Ayame answers. "I liked that one."

But Maya's excitement brings a smile to Ayame's face. "I think we can!" She makes the little figure with nice, extended ears, and dragon wings! She's very pretty, but also super cool...

Ayame is pleased, and so far, so good. Seek inspiration...

"I'm still not ''entirely'' sure how this helps," Ayame admits as they walk on, "But I suppose while we're here we might as well work at what we see..."

Performances. "Hmm."

"...Let's help her out," Ayame thinks of the Humour who is here trying to attend to each costume at once.

"You're working so hard!" Ayame tells her. "I think you're very creative! It's so hard to arrange everyone all at once, isn't it? Well, I remmeber when my daughter was set for a school performance, and..."
</poem>

MONAD: Ayame Watanabe has acted with Mom Talk toward Finishing the Finery! Friendliness and Efficient!

<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
<poem>
Maya isn't sure how this helps, but she has to admit... it's kind of fun. A lot more fun than fighting shadows, for sure.

"I'm sure that you've had to make lots of costumes for your kids over the years," Maya says, nodding vigorously. "I know it's not the same, but if you had to dress up a half-elf, half-dragon, what would you put them in?"

Maya taps her lip, giving it some thought. She didn't have kids to dress up, but she did have a Licca-chan when she was younger and loved dressing her up.
</poem>

MONAD: Maya Amano has acted with Interview Talk toward Finishing the Finery! Friendliness and Smarts!

(|============================ Monad - Results =============================|)
-==== Finishing the Finery - Round 2 ========================================-
Maya Amano Charm Success
Interview Talk Friendliness and Smarts Fatigue: 0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ayame Watanabe Charm Success
Mom Talk Friendliness and Efficient Fatigue: 0
-============================ Party Conditions: =============================-
Starting Conditions: Bothersome-2, Skillful-1, and Soft-2
Final Conditions: Bothersome-1 and Soft-1
-====================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====-
-==== Reach: 2/6 |== | ===================================================-
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

MONAD: Ayame Watanabe has drawn a new Challenge!

(|============= Monad - Kazusa's Atelier: The Neo-Lunar Palace =============|)
-==== Round 3: Fueling the Forge - Challenge Level 2 ========================-
| Approach Options: Charm or Guts |
| Conditions: Annoying - Charm Down L2, Bolstering - Guts Up L2, Bothersome |
| - Charm Down L1, Box - Add 1 Item/Money/Gear., and Soft - Understanding Up |
| L1 |
-==== Challenge =============================================================-

The climb through the palace seems endless--if you were to glance out a
window now, you would see the palace grounds as a distant circle, surrounded
by a sea of encroaching darkness on all sides.

The next room you walk into is a sweltering forge, tended to by an owlgirl
Sanguin Humor, dressed in a black tunic and white leggings. She greets you
and takes note of your vessel, and how you must be undergoing the Princess'
trial. She offers to forge a weapon that you can then add to your vessel,
gesturing to a workstation by the other exit.

But in order to do that, she's going to need some fire crystals for her
forge... crystals currently being guarded by a rather large Coleric Humor in
the shape of a dragon in the back of the room. Only its massive forebody
emerges from a cave entrance, with shimmering red crystals piled beneath it.

You can either use your Charm to convince it not to attack, or if you're
Guts-y enough you can just dart in and steal some. Either way, the Sanguin
Humor will forge a weapon of your choosing to be scanned into the
workstation.

OOC: Add a fantasy or medieval weapon to your character! If you need
inspiration, you can roll against the table at
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Tir5tjha7KiTvF26HQYarS7s1imdmbdbXVTuf8_u
VbY/edit?tab=t.9y0qg01lx15n.

(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
<poem>
It is more fun than fighting!

"Haha, yes," Ayame agrees with Maya cheerfully. "They really do expect you to make a lot of those yourself, too--the schools, I mean." But she considers. Thoughts...

"Let's make our dragon girl a magical girl!" she says. "Koume-chan really likes this one show lately, Lovely Remedy..."

"Some hearts here... space for her wings... Maybe some nice earrings for those lovely ears..."

Soon, they have their half-dragon elf all dressed up! And then it's on to trudge ahead through the palace. The sea of darkness lingers all around. Ayame actually starts to get a ittle out of breath by the time they walk into that forge. "Oh, I--I need to sit down a moment..."

The owlgirl offers them a ''weapon''...

But the crystals they need are behind the Dragon's cave.

"I think... for an elven half-dragon, a bow sounds nice..."

"But I'm going to have to count on you for this one," Ayame says to Maya. "Do you think yo9u can convince the dragon to let us take some crystals?"

She'll be fine. In a minute.
</poem>

MONAD: Ayame Watanabe has acted with Mom Talk toward Fueling the Forge! Friendliness and Efficient!

<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
<poem>
"Wow!" Maya looks on excitedly, nodding in approval at all of Ayame's fashion choices. Truly as expected from a full-time mother/part-time MMO player. "I wonder if we'll have to choose a name for her next..."

Maya hope so, even though she doesn't have the slightest clue what to name her yet. But before that, they have another challenge!

Unfortunately, they've got a beast of a Coleric Humor to take on first. Thankfully, Ayame's confidence in her as well as Maya Amano's 'Let's Think Positive' attitude combine to fill the young reporter with determination.

"Excuse me, do you mind answering a few questions?" she asks of the dragon-lookalike. "I'm writing an article on crystals and it seems with the amount you've accrued, you must be an expert..."

It's not lip service -- of course Maya Amano anticipates that a dragon with a horde of crystals would know a lot about them. And after awhile, Maya _does_ learn a lot that she didn't know. In fact, enough that she could probably write an entire article in Coolest about them (and now maybe she will!). But then comes the time to pop the question...

"I know this is probably forward of me, but do you mind if we take one?"
</poem>

MONAD: Maya Amano has acted with Interview Talk toward Fueling the Forge! Friendliness and Smarts!

(|============================ Monad - Results =============================|)
-==== Fueling the Forge - Round 3 ===========================================-
Maya Amano Charm Success
Interview Talk Friendliness and Smarts Fatigue: 0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ayame Watanabe Charm Success
Mom Talk Friendliness and Efficient Fatigue: 0
-============================ Party Conditions: =============================-
Starting Conditions: Annoying-2, Bolstering-2, Bothersome-1, Box-0, and
Soft-1
Final Conditions: Annoying-1 and Bolstering-1
-====================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====-
-==== Reach: 3/6 |=== | ===================================================-
-==== Loot So Far: ==========================================================-
Items: 1, Money: 0, Gear: 1
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

MONAD: Ayame Watanabe has drawn a new Challenge!

(|============= Monad - Kazusa's Atelier: The Neo-Lunar Palace =============|)
-==== Round 4: Oh, It's One of These - Challenge Level 2 ====================-
| Approach Options: Academics or Proficiency |
| Conditions: Annoying - Charm Down L2, Bolstering - Guts Up L2, Clumsy - |
| Proficiency Down L1, and Educational - Academics Up L1 |
-==== Challenge =============================================================-

As you keep climbing ever higher, through stairs, teleporters, and endless
hallways, it's clear you're reaching ever-dizzying heights: A quick glance
out a window now reveals that palace grounds are a speck of light in the far
distance below you, leaving you almost suspended in a void of darkness.

The next room you enter might be a bit confusing at first. It seems to be a
maze of tight corridors, but there are also some rather large stone blocks
littered about. You can push them, but they're too smooth to find purchase
on to pull them back, so you might want to be careful how you arrange them.

Thankfully, you discover a screen that shows the layout of the hallways and
the locations of all the blocks, plus a button that will let you reset
things to how they were when you first entered.

You can use your Academics to plan a path forward to the exit on the other
side, or your Proficiency to help with moving those heavy blocks.

(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
<poem>
"I hope so!" Ayame says. "What will we call her..."

Maya's determination sees her talk to the dragon!! And the dragon peers down at her. "Small one," the dragon says, "You have done well to seek my expertise..." Her voice rumbles and shakes the room, but she is willing to answer those questions, especially with Maya's expert interviewing. And eventually...

"Ordinarily I would char the bones of any who sought to steal from me... but you instead have come to ''appreciate'' my crystals. Very well. You may have one."

Ayame cheers for Maya when she returns. "Great work!" she says, and stands up. "And I'm feeling much better."

The next humor makes them a crystalline bow with beautiful crystal-tipped arrows for their little Vessel, and Ayame walks with Maya ahead. They're ''sso'' high up now...

"Oh," Ayame says and frowns, "A block puzzle..."

She sighs. "Well, nothing for it but hard work! The way to make this easier is to remember that in most of these games, the blocks have a center of gravity..."
</poem>

MONAD: Ayame Watanabe has acted with Tutorial toward Oh, It's One of These! Diligence and Patra!

<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
<poem>
"Should I move this one?" Maya calls, looking over her shoulder. She gestures at the first of many blocks they'll be moving. "Which way?"

Using Ayame's guidance, Maya will attempt to navigate through the puzzle. What she lacks in physical power, she makes up in energy... but will it be enough to get through this puzzle?!
</poem>

MONAD: Maya Amano has acted with Proficiency toward Oh, It's One of These! Base!

(|============================ Monad - Results =============================|)
-==== Oh, It's One of These - Round 4 =======================================-
Maya Amano Proficiency Success
Proficiency Base Fatigue: 0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ayame Watanabe Proficiency Success
Tutorial Diligence and Patra Fatigue: 0
-============================ Party Conditions: =============================-
Starting Conditions: Annoying-1, Bolstering-1, Clumsy-2, and Educational-2
Final Conditions: Educational-1
-====================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====-
-==== Reach: 4/6 |==== | ===================================================-
-==== Loot So Far: ==========================================================-
Items: 1, Money: 0, Gear: 1
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

MONAD: Ayame Watanabe has drawn a new Challenge!

(|============= Monad - Kazusa's Atelier: The Neo-Lunar Palace =============|)
-==== Round 5: The Manifest Gallery - Challenge Level 3 =====================-
| Approach Options: Guts or Understanding |
| Conditions: Bless - +1 to Group Roll (Per Character), Bolstering - Guts Up |
| L2, Educational - Academics Up L1, and Hard - Understanding Down L1 |
-==== Challenge =============================================================-

You've ascended high into the palace, and the halls are in rough shape. The
pulses of light that ran along the walls are all dark now, many of the
magical lights are flickering rapidly, and there are deep, goinging claw
marks embedded into the floors with alarming frequency.

But finally you reach your destination: the Manifest Gallery. Though high,
arching doors you step into a large gallery space: Flegmat Humors, catboys
and catgirls in all manner of fantastical costumes and garb mill about,
observing miniature animated statues placed on display in various poses or
looping animations. For the moment, this room still appears to be brightly
lit and in good shape.

An owlgirl in orange robes trimmed with yellow--a Sanguin Humor--ushers you
forth to a small altar with a receptacle for the disk you've been carrying.
She explains that all you need to do is to place the disc in the altar and
name your vessel. When you do, the image hovering over it vanishes and is
placed on display.

The Sanguin Humor thanks you for your offering, and hopes that with enough
offerings they'll be able to convince the Princess to let down the wards
guarding her chambers. She presents everyone in your party with two gifts:

* You have gained the Key Item PRINCESS' FAVOR!

A sign that you have completed the offering of a vessel and
gained recognition by the Princess. It features a crescent moon
encircling a lily, both carved out of moonstone and set against
a small, round black pin. It glows faintly in the dark.

* You have gained the Unique Item FIGURINE OF <Name>!

Hey, it's <name>! This figurine is finely detailed and posed in
the middle of a fierce attack. This is to commemorate the
journey you took to offer a vessel to the Princess. Please treat
them well!

The Sanguin Humor is about to invite you to explore the Gallery when a
hulking, snarling wolf batters its way past the doors. It might have been a
palace guard once, as evidenced by the bits and pieces of armor still
clinging to its body, but as it stands it is fully under the Homunculus'
sway: a Melanc Humor. It roars, causing the Flegmat attendees to scream and
scatter. As they do, it begins to criticize the wasted effort spent on the
fancy costumes and on creating the offerings.

And it will criticize everyone in the party, too, especially anybody acting
in ways that don't confirm to rigid gender norms.

You'll need to use your Guts to battle the beast and subdue it, or you can
try to be Understanding and rally the Flegmats to help with the process.

(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
<poem>
"Yes!" Ayame agrees with Maya. "That one, there, and... Ah! Let me push this one to go with it..." Ayame will help, of course, but she's not very strong. Maya's boundless energy does most of the trick. And they do make it through the puzzle!

How high up are they?

The Manifest Gallery is here, and Ayame looks around at all the figures in their costumes. The miniature statues... Hmm. "So ours stands out nicely, don't you think?" Ayame says to Maya. But there's a little altar... "Hmm. I think I'll call her... Lady Scalebright. Does that work for you? We can do something else, too! Something more Elven."

But there, they receive--REWARDS.

She offers the figurine to Maya once they have it. "Would you like to keep her?" she wonders. "I--"

The wolf barges in!!! With its roar, the Flegmat's start to scatter...

"AND YOU!" he roars at Maya. "I hate your vibe! Hearts? Pink guns? It's so GIRLY!"

Then he roars at Ayame, "And you! You're OLD!"

Ayame scowls. Then she looks around to the potted plants. "There's gotta be some wolfsbane around here somewhere..."

She'll rally the humors in a minute.
</poem>

MONAD: Ayame Watanabe has acted with Green Thumb toward The Manifest Gallery! Empathy and Focus!

<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
<poem>
"Wouldn't your--" But before Maya can get the words out, she's very rudely interrupted.

"What's wrong with having pink guns? Or with being older?" Maya intentionally avoids using the word 'old'. She definitely doesn't consider Ayame that! "You must be really insecure to be so critical of others! What happened to make you so bitter?"

Maya might be trying to get the story here... but she's also antagonizing the creature with her bold declarations. Will it be enough of a distraction for Ayame to successfully rally the Flegmats against it...?!
</poem>

MONAD: Maya Amano has acted with Get That Story toward The Manifest Gallery! Amrita!

(|============================ Monad - Results =============================|)
-==== The Manifest Gallery - Round 5 ========================================-
Maya Amano Guts Success
Get That Story Amrita Fatigue: 0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ayame Watanabe Understanding Success
Green Thumb Empathy and Focus Fatigue: 0
-============================ Party Conditions: =============================-
Starting Conditions: Bless-0, Bolstering-2, Educational-1, and Hard-2
Final Conditions: Bolstering-1 and Hard-1
-====================================== Party Result: Success: Reach Up! ====-
-==== Reach: 6/6 |=====| ===================================================-
-==== Loot So Far: ==========================================================-
Items: 1, Money: 0, Gear: 1
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

(|============= Monad - Kazusa's Atelier: The Neo-Lunar Palace =============|)
-==== Round 6: Pitfall - Challenge Level 1 ==================================-
| Approach Options: None |
| Conditions: Chest - Add 2 Item/Money/Gear. and Revelation - The best |
| result. |
-==== Challenge =============================================================-

After a fierce battle with the Melanc wolf, you manage to subdue it enough
for the Flegmat denizens present to move in to take care of it. This means
you have enough time to have a proper look around--you can't ascend up the
tower yet, but there's still plenty of other things in the Atelier left to
explore.

You find a small movie theater, attended by a Sanguin owlgirl dressed in
purple robes and a white mantle. She lets you know that the next showing is
about to start, and that admission is free with the Princess' Favor.

Once you settle in, an old, grainy video springs to life on the screen. It's
summer break, and an excited, middle school-aged Kazusa and Kazuhiro
excitedly greet their grandparents as they arrive for a week's stay on
summer break. (The grandparents are Shigeki and Kae Motohima, a husband and
wife team who are a legendary game designer and artist duo who made some of
Motojima Corporation's earliest video games.)

During the week, Kazusa and Kazuhiro get to take a trip to Motojima
Corporation's game development studios, getting to see their grandparents'
offices, how games are made, and even play in an arcade of old Motojima
arcade cabinets. Kazuhiro has a fun time, but Kazusa is enthralled,
particularly by her grandmother's art.

So much so that when her father Kazuki, a tall, stern-looking man with short
black hair, comes to pick them up, Kazusa excitedly tells him she wants to
make games like baachan and jiichan.

This incenses the father, who immediately begins to berate her choice to
chase a meaningless creative profession. Kae immediately moves to usher
Kazusa and Kazuhiro out of the room, but not before Kazua's expression
crumbles. The memory fades out with Kazuki and Shigeki openly arguing.

As the lights come back on, you find a golden treasure chest waiting at the
front of the theater. Opening it, you find a new weapon: it's made of
polished black metal, leather, or wood, and elegantly designed with silver
accents. It glows with black light when used.

In non-supernatural spaces it doesn't glow, of course, but it still appears
to be a high-quality cosplay accessory.

Final Loot: 2 Items and 2 Pieces of Gear!
(|=========================================================== Monad 1.1 ====|)

<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
<poem>
Maybe Ayame's kids would love the figure! Or maybe she'd have to explain where it came from... it's ahrd to say!

"It doesn't suit a hard-boiled reporter to be feminine!" the wolf insists. "You should pick one! Woman or reporter!"

But the wolf is called ''insecure'' and growls about it. "This Atelier used to be beautiful! I used to protect the Princess! But now everything is DARk and GLOOMY and I'm mad about it!"

Ayame does rally the others, though she doesn't actually feed the wolf poison. This time.

Eventually they win... And it's kind of disturbing for Ayame to watch catgirls swarming the Wolf to get rid of it. Oh well.

But as they walk, they find a little movie theatre. "Maybe we can come to understand her better if we watch her... movie?" Ayame suggestss.

But as they watch, she frowns. Eventually... Ayame sighs. "Controlling your children, again," she says. "It's so hard for parents to understand... I hope I never do that to mine."

But there's a golden treasure chest and--

"Oh!" Ayame picks up a beautiful shortsword, and smiles. "This could be useful.."

Then she looks back to Maya. "I think I understand her situation better, now... I hope we can help her."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
<poem>
Maya jolts to her feet when Kazusa appears on-screen. "Wait! I know her." 'Know' might be a bit of a strong word, but she did encounter her not too long ago. And something definitely seemed off... off enough that Maya offered her her card.

She hadn't ever heard back, though. But... what does this place have to do with Kazusa? And what was there to be critical of? Kazusa knew what she wanted to do -- her family should support it, the way Maya's mother supported her when she said she wanted to be a journalist.

The way Maya was sure Ayame would her own kids when they were ready to choose their own course.

"If something's done something to her, we'll have to stop it!" Maya gives Ayame another enthusiastic nod. Thankfully now, they had what they needed: the knowledge to know what was going on and some extra supplies to help them in their quest.
</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 1]]

2026-01-27: The First Step

2026-01-30T00:34:51Z

Fureasei: typo pass~

*'''Log: The First Step'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Julian Marlowe]], [[Hyousuke Suzuki]]
*'''Where:''' Kasugayama High School
*'''OOC Date:''' 2026-01-27
*'''IC Date:''' Mon Sep 17 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Despite bearing no shortage of scepticism and suspicion towards Julian, Hyousuke finds himself desperate enough to seek his help on an intensely personal matter.''

----

<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
It's always interesting when a new name appears on the counseling roster, especially when they don't appear to have been forced onto it. Though Hyousuke Suzuki is far from an unfamiliar name to Julian. He has already seen enough to draw some general conclusions from attitude on campus, the incidental encounter in private... and combat behavior, not that Hyousuke would be aware he's seen any of that. How could he have? Clearly the English teacher slash counselor is just a regular guy.

Well, a regular foreigner from England, anyway. They all enjoy a tea a lot, have endless patience, and wear monocles over there, right?

Regardless, he is far from prejudiced, and is unwilling to commit to much more than 'easily angered, quick to deflect, some manner of personal concerns likely' without even having had a session yet. And he wouldn't force anyone into one, as eager as some of his co-workers are to make students Not Their Problem with their counseling punishments. All in due time... and time is now due.

Julian's office used to be a storage room at the end of the hall on the ground floor of Kasu High's classroom building. It's a tiny space, with barely enough room for a desk in the back, a small table with two chairs in the center, and an old-fashioned looking chest of drawers off to the side. But at least it cleaned up nicely, after all the trash was disposed of, and Julian redecorated it to have a more pleasant atmosphere. Which means sky blue wallpaper, grass-like carpeting, and the table serving fresh tea for two, with a plate of scones at the ready. Some refer to a counseling session as 'a tea party in the closet', but Julian rarely pays sarcasm any mind.

Julian, already seated at the table, has his usual calm smile on when Hyousuke arrives, quick to indicate the chair opposite from him. "<Mister> Suzuki, welcome. Feel free to help yourself to the refreshments. I have Earl Grey today, perhaps not the most exciting blend but it's a classic for a reason."

After the preamble, he folds his hands together, and starts off in his usual manner. "As this is your first session, allow me to explain what you can expect from me. First and foremost, our topics of discussion can be whatever you like. You do not have to speak of anything you don't wish to, and whatever you do choose to speak of will be kept in strict confidence. I am here to listen and advise, but you are under no obligations whatsoever. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me anything at any time. Though I suppose the best general advice I could give is... don't overthink it. We're just here to have a chat, about whatever is on your mind."
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>
Hyousuke had chosen to attend a counselling session. That much was clear. His file stated many things, from banal details such as his date of birth and blood type, to more private matters such as the circumstances of his transfer to Kasugayama - but nothing on it indicated that he had been assigned there as some form of punishment. Even asking Muto-sensei - a teacher that Hyousuke worked quite closely with - would have shown that Hyousuke had gone there of his own volition without the idea having even been suggested by another party, save for Ichika's brief suggestion.

Some might have found it odd, then, that he very much looked as though he did not wish to be there. His manner was that of a stray hound's, dragged into a space it was wholly unfamiliar with. His eyes were sharp and focussed, darting from detail to detail before settling upon Julian, as though the counsellor himself might have leapt out and attacked him at any moment. His movements were slow and calculated, his entrance into the converted storage closet almost a trepidatious prowl. His muscles, though not tensed to the point of paralysis, were still tense enough to lend a certain stiffness to his movements.

Had he hackles, it was almost certain that they would have been raised.

Hyousuke gave a slight, affirmative, grunt in acknowledgement of Julian's greeting, even bowing his head just a little by way of greeting in return before shutting the door behind him. He said nothing else, instead watching Julian closely while he sat, only diverting his gaze to examine the refreshments before him. His nose recognised what they were before his eyes did - perhaps even a split second before Julian himself managed to speak of them. The blend was a distinct one, and drew his attention for a heartbeat longer than the other features around the room, while the scones drew a similar sort of attention. He'd not had the pleasure of trying one, but though he might have eagerly taken one in a more casual setting, his primal mannerisms yet persisted. Like a hound offered a cut of meat, there were hints of interest to his actions, but caution reigned.

Then came the explanation. Julian might have told him not to overthink it, but that only seemed to put Hyousuke on edge a little more. Whatever focus the tea might have drawn was erased, directed entirely towards Julian, while his mind began to race through the many possible responses in search of the 'correct' one. There was a stillness in the air as he considered his words, before a voice in his mind rang out above the rest, demanding that he do what he came there for instead of trying to tiptoe around the issue.

Brute force was his way, after all. Why should it not be so with treatment?

Hyousuke drew in a breath, hands clasped to his knees as if to brace for a blow that was not to come. His lips curled, tensed, twitched, and even parted a little, as if a million different words all came to the tip of his tongue before being bitten back. Eventually, he did as he'd steeled himself for, and spoke.
"I need help with my anger."
That statement, curt and vague though it was, had taken a monumental amount of effort. The very act of asking for help almost caused him to retch, and speaking about something so deeply personal as his anger... just finishing the sentence almost made him flinch. "And a friend said you were cool."
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
Though opinions on Julian's tea varies (in part because the blend varies by day), there's an easy consensus about the scones. They're Good Scones(tm). So good that some go through the trouble of picking the door's lock to get at them. Julian's fault for leaving them there when he goes out, right? By now many suspect that he's doing this on purpose, but who'd complain about free scones?

But Julian will leave it up to Hyousuke to decide what suits his fancy there. He already had his own cup of tea poured and ready in advance, so as not to distract from the matter at hand, whatever it may turn out to be.

The fact that he's dealing with someone who has no idea what to expect is clear enough. That's fine, a bit of nervousness is to be expected. Or a lot of nervousness, as the case may be. All people respond differently to unfamiliar environments. The reaction is notable, but he's not about to draw any attention to that. Even if observing in silence may draw its own attention, there isn't much but a patient, if perhaps oddly unflinching sort of friendliness to read in that expression.

It is with little effort that he suppresses a chuckle at yet another who visibly overthinks things the moment they're told not to. That too, is fine. He's used to these things taking time. He's here to make whatever time may end up being required available, however many sessions it takes to get at the heart of the matter.

And then Hyousuke immediately gets to the heart of the matter. At least if he was looking to pierce Julian's expression then the effort is rewarded, with an openly surprised raising of the right eyebrow.

"Do you, now?" He's not pretending not to know - that surprise comes from elsewhere, the counselor leaning slightly forward. "That's quite impressive, <Mister> Suzuki. Most who come to attend counseling aren't aware of what their exact issue is, or that there even is an issue, at first. As they say, the first step is realizing there's a problem... so you might say that you are one step ahead already."

The tone is as genuine as Julian intends the statement, as is the look of interest as he leans back in his chair, offering a hand gesture to continue. "By all means then, tell me more about the problematic forms that your anger takes." If Hyousuke wants to continue to be direct. "Or, perhaps it would be easier to start at the beginning, and tell me of the first time you noticed that your anger had become an issue." Which is what he would normally recommend, if he hadn't gotten such a clear sense of Hyousuke's preferences yet. He is free to choose the approach that works for him, in the end.
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>
The shift in Julian's expression did not go unnoticed, and Hyousuke did not simply brush it aside. His eyes darted in the direction of that cocked brow, instantly beginning to scrutinise it in the hopes of finding some indication of what thoughts ran through Julian's mind. He did not hide the fact that he was suspicious. He did not even try. Just stepping past the threshold had been a Herculean task, but to be shut into such a tight space with a man he did not trust in the slightest? It was little wonder that he was on edge.

Hyousuke's knuckles - the parts that were not still scabbed over from overexertion at the bags or on Shadows - grew pale as his fingers tensed, the colour only returning momentarily when he shifted them into a different, still tense, position. He listened to Julian, and he processed the suggestions as well as anyone in his position might, but another thought plagued his mind. He could not read Julian. Most other teachers in the school had something other than feigned friendliness to examine. Apathy towards their students, a stern disposition, feigned enthusiasm... Kasugayama, in his (relatively short) experience, had a way of wearing people down like that.

Yet Julian's mask - if it even was a mask - remained steadfast, save for that look of surprise.

Even as Julian got down to business, and Hyousuke knew it was his turn to answer, he could not calm his nerves. His eyes raked over Julian's face, trying to find something - anything - that would clue him in on how best to approach the situation. He peered into his eyes, searching for some ulterior motive or some shadowy end goal. He found nothing. It was like staring at a brick wall, no matter how friendly the look he was given was, or how welcoming and easy the tone he was spoken to sounded.

Hyousuke lifted a cup to his lips, taking a sip of Earl Grey. The tea was good, that much he could admit, and he didn't have many suspicions about it either. But he was hardly thirsty at that point in time, despite his marked love of a good brew. It was simply a way for him to stall for time as he tried to figure out what it was he wanted to say, and judging by the length of the sip he took, he needed a good, long, while to figure it out.

"I lashed out at my friends." Hyousuke eventually said. He spoke quietly and tersely, his speech like a short growl from a from a wary mutt. "They were trying to help with something, and I lost it for a moment." He could not speak easily. Each word took effort to speak, as if every one stuck in his throat and had to be forced onto his lips. Another paused filled the air, with him looking down, though whether to think or in shame was unclear. "And I... I don't want to do that to them again. Or my other friends."

The unspoken implication was that he did not wish to quell his fury, only direct it. There were no shortage of enemies, after all, and he still had great need of the strength it lent him.
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
It may be a failing that Julian doesn't recognize - or, more accurately, doesn't want to recognize - the signs of mistrust, treating them simply as natural wariness of something unfamiliar. He's not any quicker than usual to take things personally in the context of a counseling session. Why would he, when this is someone who sought him out for assistance without being in any forced to? All that's on his own mind is doing what he can, in the best way he's able. Or the best way as indicated by the student himself, whichever gets the job done better.

Sometimes one cannot recognize what a person has to hide, because they aren't actually hiding the way they truly feel, in the current moment. Not that there is much to go on to be sure of that, since Julian has been nothing but the picture of patience and tolerance, in so far as a teacher can afford such, and rarely talks about himself. That's one thing that he is wary of - though he may have slipped on occasion, counseling sessions are absolutely not supposed to be about him.

He doesn't react at all to being studied. That's fair, he studies everyone he looks at too, without any obvious judgement. He does react to social cues, evidently seeing Hyousuke lifting his tea cup as a sign of it being the proper time to raise his own. A slight raising of the lips as well as the cup as if to say 'cheers', before taking a sip of his own.

And that's all he does. Not a single word to break the silence, until Hyousuke decides he's good and ready to respond.

"Hm," is the only initial response, to Hyousuke's self-assessment. The way he describes it now makes it sound merely like an incident which, while unpleasant, happens to everyone from time to time. But the way he described it earlier made it sound like a structural problem. Seems as if he'll need to poke a little deeper to get to the heart of it. He sets his cup back down, leaving one hand to rest on top of the other.

"I seriously doubt you truly meant any harm, if you're this remorseful about your actions now. You must have good friends, to be this concerned for their sake. I see no reason to doubt that your heart is in the right place, nor to assume that your friends aren't aware of that."

Hyousuke has already implied that much - they are still friends, after what Hyousuke appears to have thought was a terrible incident. Julian thinks that's something to be happy about - no one was ever helped by putting undue focus on the negative.

Just as calmly, he continues, "However, that doesn't mean your feelings aren't valid, of course. How ''did'' you feel, when you, as you say, 'lost it for a moment', to make you so remorseful in hindsight?"
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>
Hyousuke did not verbalise a response to Julian surmising that he had good friends, but the slow and short nod he gave affirmed the idea regardless. He seemed to chew on that thought, rolling it around in his mind and examining it from different angles, looking down when there was a slight lull in the conversation so that he could mull it over without having to deal with the idea that he was being judged. He knew Julian still watched him, of course, but he could at least put it out of his mind for the few seconds the mean was out of his view.

Then the question came, and Hyousuke found he could not look up. He tried, his chin twitching upwards and the muscles in his neck shifting a little with the effort, but he found he simply could not look Julian in the eyes. His fingers tensed again, but did not shift outwards, the memory of that day on the roof seeming to paralyse him as it seeped back into his mind. The words that had been exchanged that day, whether muttered or spoken or shouted, echoed in his mind, a deafening chorus backed by the cacophony of feelings that he could scarcely begin to untangle from each other.

"Like I was right." Hyousuke eventually managed to say. There were a million other things he could have said in place of that, each of them more precise and more insightful. But all of them were blocked by two things. First, he did not trust Julian. The man was inscrutable, and to offer him more information than was necessary to solve the issue at hand threatened to - in Hyousuke's mind - give the man ammunition with which to coerce him into one course of action or another. The man was still an authority figure, after all, no matter who vouched for him.

The second wall was that he did not wish to clue Julian in on the supernatural nature of his problems. It was one thing to lay bare his own feelings, and his own secrets. It was another to risk Ichika and Tsubasa's alter egos to someone that, he thought, would have reported them to the authorities before the day was out. That was assuming Julian even believed all of the supernatural goings-on were real, and not some fever dream or a story intended to waste his time and test his good nature.

Secrecy, then, had to pervade everything he said. A necessary measure, he supposed, but even Hyousuke was aware of the counter-intuitive nature of hiding his issues from a man he had sought out to help solve them.
"I felt like... Like I had to *make* them see I was right. Like they just weren't getting it, and I needed to explain more, or louder, or..." He bit the sentence off before it had a chance to grow beyond his control. He feared that if he kept speaking, he would never stop - and that in itself would cause no end of trouble.
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
At least one thing has become staggeringly obvious in the short time they've spoken. There's something more behind this level of discomfort. Julian can start to see it now, between the physical signs, and the spoken words, however few. This worry about what others might think. Is the anger itself truly the problem? Or simply a consequence?

Hyousuke can't even look him in the eyes, having to admit something that he must see as something truly shameful. Even though there would be as little in the way of judgement there as there has been this entire time. Yes, there is definitely a problem here, he thinks. But one that is wholly self-inflicted, and entirely undeserved.

"Hmmm." Again, it's the only sound he makes for a moment. A habit while he gathers his thoughts, or is he doing that on purpose? Perhaps a little of both. A shift in approach may be necessary here. If it is his opinion that Hyousuke worries about, then...

"One question, Suzuki-san," he starts, shifting to a proper honorific to draw attention to the change. He yet sits there calmly, expression unreadable, as he poses the promised question.

"Do you believe me to be perfect?"

Honestly, the reaction or lack thereof doesn't truly matter. He's still getting to the real point. But he does eventually answer it himself, to drive the point home. "I make mistakes. Your friends make mistakes. And so do you." He spreads his arms. "Does it truly matter who is in the right, when no one is qualified to act as infallible judge?"

Julian apparently thinks this is an excellent time to take a moment to have a sip of tea, and set the cup down again before he continues, no more or less calm than before. "I cannot help but be reminded of the famous Socratic Paradox, 'the wise man knows that he knows nothing of consequence'." He chuckles. "Do forgive me, I am still a teacher, after all. Perhaps a more practical example would be more to your liking: if it was truly that important to be correct all the time, why... there would be a lot fewer students passing their exams, would there not?"

Julian inclines his head. "I apologize for prattling on like this. My point is simply... it's okay to make mistakes. Just as it is okay when others make mistakes."
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>
The question left Hyousuke stunned. Not because he could not think of an answer - he did not believe Julian to be perfect at all. There was still suspicion in every glance, and a hidden meaning behind every piece of information he deigned to grant Julian. Rather, he believed Julian's *facade* to be perfect. Too perfect. An impenetrable mask of calm, an even mind in a school where anyone should have been taking the first chance they could find to leave, a stillness of the body that made it seem like not even reflexive movement happened without his express permission... It felt *wrong.* Like the stillness of night before a predator savaged its prey, or the eerie calm that preceded a storm.

To give voice to such concerns would be difficult at best, however. His face contorted with thought, mind attempting to arrange the maelstrom of feelings and words crowding it in order to make something coherent and diplomatic enough that he could express his feelings, but he could figure nothing out. There was very clearly thought given to how he was supposed to answer Julian - his expression alone made that clear - but his lips remained tight. Tighter than before, in fact. As if he had to make a conscious effort to keep his thoughts sealed away, lest they manifest as ugly words and bellowed feelings.

Like that day on the rooftop.

"It always matters who's right."
That was the answer Hyousuke eventually gave, after a pregnant pause. Julian had long since stopped speaking, and though Hyousuke had heard the other points offered, he could not help but return to that singular point. "A 'mistake' is forgetting your keys, or dropping a cup. What I did..." He clenched his teeth, and the attempt he made to look Julian in the eye as he spoke grew visibly forced. His mind and his muscles screamed at him to look away, trying to rip his gaze down or to the side, but he stubbornly stood his ground against his very instincts.

People got hurt when he got things wrong, Hyousuke wanted to tell Julian. He wanted to stand up, and to tell him that people drowned in stygian waters when he overestimated his own strength. He wanted to burn it into Julian's mind that people's heads were reduced to crimson smears flecked with skull fragments when there was a lapse in judgement. He wanted to jab his finger forward again, and tell Julian that people could burn to death or be crushed beneath rubble, could be torn apart by otherworldly monstrosities, that a single distraction could mean the difference between life and death.

But he could not. All he could do was maintain his secrecy, as he had done so with so many others, Julian included.

"I lost control, and people got hurt because of that. That wasn't a mistake, that was..." Hyousuke didn't know what it was. But to call his bellowing a mistake, his snarling and snapping and pointing and posturing - it felt wrong. "...I hurt people that trusted me. I can't- I can't do that again."
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
As practiced as Julian is in staying calm, learned in ways of pragmatic thinking, and trained to carefully observe, one could easily imagine one such as he to be capable of all sorts of devious tricks. There are many who think exactly that, even if there's no direct proof. Hyousuke has noticed it too, there are plenty of reasons to be suspicions. Perhaps his claim that no one is truly qualified to judge what it is right could be considered one more.

Ultimately though, when in counseling sessions, Julian's heart is with the students. All he's trying to do is ease the burden they come to him with.

But in the end, the rumors are untrue. He is not, in fact, a mind reader. And even though he knows full well what Hyousuke can be like when agitated in a fight against the supernatural, he never in a million years would expect that anyone would bring problems that relate to ''that'' to him. Not without knowing his alter ego, which he has spoken of to no one.

Without evidence to the contrary, he thus treated the matter as normal teenager problems. Nothing of what was said seemed to be of particularly high concern. Though he does of course mark every detail that he notices in Hyousuke's reaction. He can see that there's more there. But he can also see that Hyousuke is not ready to speak of it. He can't make that happen, and there's a limit to how much he can pry, without doing more harm than good.

"I see," is his simple answer, to it always mattering who's right. He's not going to argue back. Which is perhaps its own way of doubling down on his opinion. Even where it comes to this, it doesn't matter who's right. He doesn't speak again, until Hyousuke finishes speaking, back to his calm, gentle self.

"Suzuki-san. I said it at the beginning, but... the first step is realizing there's a problem. This is not an easy thing you've already managed to acknowledge. Please believe me when I say that you're already well on the road to being the kind of person you'd prefer to be, having come that far. The will to change is a powerful thing. Try to focus on the future, rather than the past. If you can steel your resolve toward the change that you'd like to see, I have faith that you're capable of seeing that through. Nothing of what I've seen today has convinced me otherwise. Alright?"

For the first time, it's Julian who averts his eyes, briefly directing them to his half empty cup. "Sadly, such things may take time. And I realize I don't know everything about you and your circumstances. All I can do is listen to what you tell me, and offer you my perspective."

He looks back to Hyousuke. "I'm loathe to open what are clearly deep wounds. Too much change too quickly is never helpful, besides. I'm going to suggest taking some time to think about we've talked about today, put your thoughts in order. And then, think about what it is you'd like to talk about next time."

Of course, he's counting on there being a next time.
</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>
Hyousuke almost wanted to laugh when Julian assured him that change was not only possible, but happening. It would have been a bitter and hollow laugh, more a way to mock the very idea that he could be anything more than what he was than an expression of genuine amusement, but a laugh nonetheless. However, he had enough sense to restrain it, but hadn't enough restraint to disguise the thin, bitter, smile that laugh manifested as instead. He said nothing, but that - in combination with an uneasy glance away - signalled doubt.

"I'll think about it." Came Hyousuke's reply. Curt and noncommittal, it was difficult to say whether he intended to return to Julian's office or not. Even he could not say for certain, if the hesitant tone he took was anything to be believed. There was no hope to it, no steely determination, no desire to see change whether for good or ill. It was simply a statement that he would consider the matter. "I... need to think about some other things first." Again, he stated the fact, though did not seem to do so with any real relish.

The clink of ceramic sounded out between them - the sound of a mug being placed gingerly back where he had found it. He'd not touched a scone the entire time, and in a turn of events that might have shocked any that knew him, he did not seem inclined to take one either. Hyousuke had no appetite, be it for food or conversation. He was, it seemed, exhausted.
"I need to get going." Hyousuke said, a little morose as he got to his feet. Standing closer to the light, the exhaustion etched into his features might have been more apparent. The distant look the bags underscoring his eyes, even the slight sluggishness of his blinks, all of it spoke of someone who needed to rest.

Whether he had expended that energy with Julian, or had been running on fumes the entire time, he was disinclined to say.
</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 1]]

2025-09-2025: Remember to Like and Subscribe

2026-01-22T15:16:11Z

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#REDIRECT [[2025-09-25: Remember to Like and Subscribe]]

2025-09-25: Remember to Like and Subscribe

2026-01-22T15:16:11Z

Fureasei: Fureasei moved page 2025-09-2025: Remember to Like and Subscribe to 2025-09-25: Remember to Like and Subscribe: lol

*'''Cutscene: Remember to Like and Subscribe'''
*'''Cast:'''[[Tatsuya Sudou]]
*'''Where:''' In some basement
*'''OOC Date:''' 09/25/2025
*'''IC Date:''' 07/16/2012
*'''Summary''': ''The Joker Killer is working on going viral. CW: Torture''

----
A notification has gone out to all who subscribe to MightySasuke88's Let's Play youtube account that a new video just dropped. 'Mighty sasuke's last video'.

The video starts dark, before a light flickers on and one, who many would know as MightSasuke88, is well not so much as sitting, but bound and gagged and struggling in the chair. The guy looks like he has been beaten up and clawed by a bear or something given the claw marks. A voice comes from behind the camera, "Is it working? I think it's working." From behind the camera walks out the star of tonight's video, The Joker Killer.

Black trench coat, and a brand new paper bag hides his face with a big smiling face colored on it. "Hello all, long time watcher, first time poster. Thank you all for tuning in to today's special video. MightSasuke88's final video, brought to you by me. The Joker Killer." The Joker Killer gives a bow to the camera.

Spinning with extra pizzazz The Joker Killer walks over and taps MightySasuke88's cheek gently before rearing back and slapping him as hard as he could. The poor guy goes spilling to the ground before groaning awake. The Joker Killer's voice echos in the room, "Wakie wakie Akito. " Looking back at the camera, "That's right, the MightySasuke's name is Akito, Akito Ito. His parents were real original. " Reaching down with one hand he pulls Akito off the ground and rights Akito's chair and sets it back to be centered in the camera.

"Now Akito, do you have any last words for your viewers?" The Joker Killer removes the gag and with a cough and sputter begins to freak out. "Please let me go. Don't kill me! Don't burn me again! Don't feed me to the bear thing! Please don't kill me !!!!" Akito breaks down into tears completely terrified. The Joker Killer hovers over the poor soul for a moment before he makes a dramatic gesture of sniffing the air. "Did you? Did you piss yourself?" The Joker Kill begins to laugh.

Turning back to the camera The Joker Killer reaches off camera and draws forth a sword, "Well I think Akito Ito has suffered enough folks. It's time for him to sign off forever. Also if you liked this video don't forget to like and subscribe. Oh and give me a call sometime." Laughter is heard as the screen fades to black, the sound still going as screams of pain and tears are heard and then silence…

Until The Joker Killer's voice is heard, "Oh I just turned off…hold on let me just…ther…." The video ends.

[[Category:Cutscenes]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 1]]

Cutscene: Remember to Like and Subscribe

2026-01-22T15:15:38Z

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2025-09-25: Remember to Like and Subscribe

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2025-09-25: Remember to Like and Subscribe

2026-01-22T15:14:33Z

Fureasei:

2026-01-16: Kicking the Door In

2026-01-20T23:03:28Z

Fureasei: Created page with "*'''Log: Kicking the Door In''' *'''Cast:''' Niko Kirisaki, Jin Shirato, Takaya Sakaki, Tatsuya Sudou, Noriaki Okaga, Reiya Aomori, Shinjiro Aragaki, Yukari Takeba, Suzume Fukura, Hitomi Mandai, Minato Arisato, Ririka Kawase, Koh Katsuhiro, Shizuka Kuroki, Fuuka Yamagishi, Aigis *'''Where:''' Iwatodai Dormitory *'''OOC Date:''' January 16, 2026 *'''IC Date:''' September 11, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''Strega laun..."

*'''Log: Kicking the Door In'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Niko Kirisaki]], [[Jin Shirato]], [[Takaya Sakaki]], [[Tatsuya Sudou]], [[Noriaki Okaga]], [[Reiya Aomori]], [[Shinjiro Aragaki]], [[Yukari Takeba]], [[Suzume Fukura]], [[Hitomi Mandai]], [[Minato Arisato]], [[Ririka Kawase]], [[Koh Katsuhiro]], [[Shizuka Kuroki]], [[Fuuka Yamagishi]], [[Aigis]]
*'''Where:''' Iwatodai Dormitory
*'''OOC Date:''' January 16, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' September 11, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Strega launches an attack on the SEES Dorm in a mission to cause chaos and demoralize.''

----

(|============================ Iwatodai Dormitory ============================|)
-================================================== Iwatodai City/Iwatodai ====-
A large four-story dormitory used by the Specialized Extracurricular Execution
Squad, only five minutes from Iwatodai Station. Upon entering, one passes a desk
with a sign-in book for guests to find a large carpeted common room that's well
appointed for co-ed gatherings.

A TV is usually on with the local news or a movie that's been loaded into the
DVD player for a student to enjoy. A table for shared dinners, or more often
study sessions, takes up the other half of the dorm, as well as a kitchen should
one dare to show off their skills to their fellow students.

There are two winding staircases on either side. The one on the left simply says
'Boys' while the other on the right states 'No Boys Except By Invitation.' The
implicit threat of execution need not be written down for those who violate
these rules. The second and third stories are living spaces divided by gender
with common spaces that have study areas and bookshelves available.

The fourth story is the command center with surveillance capabilities for not
just different parts of the city but each room within the dorms. The Chairman
has assured all who live here that this capability is strictly necessary.

BGM - Dormitory Theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj-FrFI0qnM

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
ONE DAY AGO

Strategy meetings are not generally Strega's thing. Even so, it seems like Niko felt a sense of responsibility for once in her life, making an effort to get people on the same page in regards to the upcoming attack on SEES's dorm. Nothing official, just spur of the moment as usual. Still, over the past few weeks, Niko had done her best to come up with something more than literally just kicking the door down, and now was the time to share it.

"So, here's my idea," she started, gesturing at the empty space behind her as if some kind of fancy presentation board actually existed there. "First of all, Jin's gonna be working his magic to get people's attention. His call how to do it, just, as long as it's noisy enough to get people to come running out to see what's going on."

She raised a finger, smiling. "'course, we don't want poor Jin to get swarmed, so I was thinking Ojisan would be there with him to 'greet' whoever comes running." She was thoughtful enough to keep the -chan off Jin's address this time, but Sudou never complained about what she calls him in front of others, so that nickname stayed the same as usual.

Niko's hands moved, pointing to a different part of the imaginary board. "Once people take the bait, Takaya-sama can pick his moment to walk in through the front." As Strega's leader himself indicated he wanted, she wouldn't presume to make any decisions for him. Unlike the as of yet unnamed Strega member, Niko jerking a thumb over in Noriaki's direction. "While this guy goes through the back. How's your lockpicking?"

Niko didn't wait for nor cared about an answer. "Doesn't matter, I'm sure you can get through somehow, back door didn't look like anything special. Your call on what to do from there, but you want my advice? Go straight for the fridge. Nothing damages morale more than going for the food supply."

That's just what she felt was a reasonable assumption. But why did she pick Noriaki for it in particular? "Take some of the healthy stuff for yourself while you're at it, you look like you could use it." That's literally the only reason. Moving on!

"ANYWAY. Chidori wasn't feeling it right now, so she's on standby. But if Ojisan wants to do his Thing, so we can all do our Things, then she'll be ready to do her Thing too, so they won't be able to tell where and with how many we are. They'll never see it coming, we'll totally get the drop on 'em."

Hands on her hips, Niko looked mighty proud of the plan of approach she'd come up with and the very clear way she managed to explain it all. There was just one tiny thing that she hadn't mentioned yet.

"At this point I'd ask 'any questions', but I already know the one that's on everyone's mind right now. 'What will you be doing, Niko-chan?' So I'll pretend you asked and go 'glad you asked'!"

NOW

Niko is standing by, in position, ready to act once she hears the Boom. This is one of the reasons why she'd been hanging about the dorms as of late, learning of all the possible ways of approach. And also... learning who lives nearby. Like this sweet old lady in the building next to the Iwatodai dorm. Niko has a way of endearing herself to people, it was no effort at all to convince that lady to let her into the building with the excuse of 'wanting to get a view from high up for artistic inspiration'.

So here she is now. Just chilling on the roof of an adjacent building. And she's certainly feeling inspired. Inspired to take the high road, you might say.

Oh yes. She's totally jumping the roof.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Jin Shirato has posed.
<poem>
Elsewhere, Jin Shirato is putting the finishing touches on the 'distraction' part of the plan.

He picked his spot with care. He wasn't intending on blowing the neighborhood up, but the last thing he wanted was to get caught in the blast radius of his own bomb if it turned out he put a little too much firepower in this thing (not that Jin would ever admit that a mistake was possible). They didn't want this happening too close to the SEES dormitory for that reason, either. What was the fun if they brought that old building down on everyone inside?

Everything else though? Jin didn't care too much about it. In a nearby alley, Jin adjusts his glasses with his middle finger, pushing them up the bridge of his nose. He sets a device against a brick wall situated at the end of an alley. The device is a mish-mash of parts across a variety of devices. It's not pretty, but it'll be effective. And with any luck, its bark will be bigger than its bite.

The charge hums softly as a timer lights up on a digital screen on its front; right now, it's set to 3:00 and the numbers aren't yet moving. He takes one last look at it and clicks his tongue in annoyance. "This better be noisy enough for you, Niko," he mutters under his breath as he turns away.

He presses the button and the numbers begin to count down. He'll be at the rendezvous point by the time the numbers reach 0. With any luck, the SEES team will be scrambling out the doors like the vermin they were and they could pick them off, one-by-one.

BOOM.

The explosion tears through the night and a blast of light and sound rattles windows violently. Now all they needed to do was wait.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Takaya Sakaki has posed.
<poem>The area around the SEES dorm is unusually quiet for the time of day. Usually, students would be on their way home from class but today many were avoiding this direction for some reason. The people who could be seen on the streets next to the dorm are those "rough" sort of people who usually hang out in the back alleys.

Everything felt like the calm before the storm. The air had a weird stillness and color that just felt off.

And everything would continue to feel off until the front door opened. Takaya's shirtless form stood in the door way, holding the door for anyone following him. Finally, he makes his way into the main corridor, looking around with some amusement. He stops at a bulletin board, taking some of the messages to heart as he turns to anyone who will listen. "This is where they call home...interesting. Suddenly things are beginning to gel." Takaya smiles as he continues to take in everything the SEES dorm has to offer.

After a moment, Takaya makes his way to the TV area. The man stares into his reflection as he takes in more. "Ah...here is where youth meets the propaganda arm of the organization." He smiles again before suddenly drawing the gun that has been tucked into the side of his jeans. "Lets free those minds. That will be mission 1 of today's little excursion."

Takaya fires into the TV, turning as he looks around the door. "Attention, today you are going to bleed by our hand...I would suggest you scream real loud."

Takaya raises his voice so it booms throughout the building. "Remember that today is less about bodies and more about changing hearts! If they wish to flee into the streets, show them the door!" Takaya fires his gun again.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Sudou has posed.
<poem>
The explosion goes boom and a laughter is heard behind Jin before Jin's work gets an applause, "Jin my boy, you do nice work. Now whats next....Oh right!" A snap of a finger is given by Sudou before he leaps into the air and comes down on the firey wreckage of the explosion stabbing the ground with his sword. The ground ripples and distorts as the touch of the Joker Killer spreads.

For some it might just feel like stepping into the dark hour, for others a resonance of something chaotic, and for those who know him on a personal letter it is the calling card that only a Joker Killer can give off. As he looks up at Jin he picks up some of the flames and holds them for a moment, pets them and plays with them before pouring them on the sword itself. He looks over at Jin, "I am just saying if you run for it kid, you could get in there and have fun. Maybe destroy their showers, I hear that really pisses them off." Another laugh is given as the paper bag wearing media proclaimed monster takes a seat among the burning wreckage and waits. They will come...

Or this monster will find something to do to entertain himself.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Noriaki Okaga has posed.
<poem>
He didn't complain about it: free food is free food, and it beats his usual method when he's short on cash. As for Noriaki's lockpicking skills?

*CRASH*

They probably don't matter quite so much when you've knocked the door down with a Persona. It comes at something of a delay after the explosion, or the entrance of a certain young man by the front door, or the spread of 'wrongness' that ripples across the area.

Noriaki is a tall, gangling young man, the top half of his face hidden by a hoodie. He slinks over to the fridge and, with a brief wiggle of the fingers of his left hand, reaches over and grabs the handle to wrench it open.

"Now... what do the kiddos got in here?" he muses, rubbing at his short and straggly beard as he examines the fridge contents carefully.

Was that someone else's sando? It's his now. Same with that takeout tempura. ...Is this healthy? It's an open question!
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
Boom! Reiya frowns sharply as he hears the explosio, judging whre it is. Reiya was not down in the common area. Reiya was on the roof, where, isntead of immediately givig himself away by stannding up, he ''freezes''. Take a moment; analyze the situation. What has changed? Where was the explosion? An alley nearby. How close is it to the dorm? Not close enough that it should set things ablaze, but--

Everything goes out the window when Reiya feels the heartbeat stopper that is the Mark being used, to him so unlike the Dark Hour itself.

Rising to his feet, Reiya pulls his Evoker holster from where he'd hidden in it in his exercise bag, and fits it to his belt silently. He was going to meet Suzume up here...

Niko may or may not see him stand, given how quietly he does so and how he's on the other end of the roof, blocked by some planters and such.

Regardless, he pulls a few more things out of his bag, too--

It's time to use his training. Reiya steps into theoretical view in silence as he moves towards the doorway.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>School's ended, so Shinjiro came straight to the dorms and changed into his usual outfit, red coat and beanie.

He's in his room writing something when he hears the gunshot and Takaya's booming voice. His hands shake as he grabs his warhammer from the closet, stepping out into the hall.

He could charge for Takaya, smash him to smithereens. But that's probably what he wants... and it'd risk structural damage to the house. So instead, he needs to make sure it's not a pincer attack.

Footsteps quaking, he dashes upstairs, basically barreling to investigate the roof. If this is a red herring, that's fine.

He might need a moment to breathe before joining the others.

Shinjiro may or may not make it to the roof before someone reaches him, but either way... he needs to act.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
<poem>
In her room, Yukari is wearing a set of pink headphones, as she works a brush across one nail with this stupid smile on her face...

/o~ Crash!
/o~ Love is an explosion! Love is an explosion!
/o~ This is a state of emergency!
/o~ I've never felt such a humongous feeling before-

Coincidentally the dorm shakes hard enough to go through the headphones, feeling the indirect result of the explosion. "Wha-"

Casting off the headphones, she looks at her only partially done, still wet nails and grimaces as suddenly she feels it - that heartbeat, that sickening feeling of the world shifting into monochromatic flashing.

Nyarlathotep VWOOP SOUND - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RARotEaobh0

"No way... here!? The Joker Killer is..." She quickly throws on her SEES jacket, and throwing her quiver over her shoulder.

And that's how Yukari Takeba first sees Takaya Sakaki, from the girl's stairs, her eyes wide. "You definitely don't live here! Who even are you!?" She places an Evoker to her head, and pulls the trigger, a shattering noise like glass that Takaya is well familiar with taking over her. "Io!"

Blue flames erupt, and Io appears, the coffin like bull's head, with a featureless girl of flowing hair billowing in the wind, as it points towards him and he feels himself struck with magic that hampers his and his Persona's movements, since he's the only one in immediate view.

"Is that a real gun!? Did you actually bring a real gun into our dorm?"

Pause. She kind of straightens up as she realizes what she's looking at.

"... Toooo... shoot our TV? ...Okay. You do realize a kid lives here right?"

Noriaki's rummaging causes her to then look towards the kitchen door with incredulity. "Is someone in the kitchen- Wait you're... raiding our fridge? Is this some kind of sick joke!?"

A not certain if serious look hits her face, "... Most of us can't cook well enough for that to even be worth doing? You're probably just gonna find Sanada-senpai's frozen workout meals..."

Unseasoned and boiled chicken, egg, and broccoli... in other words, fairly disgusting in her opinion.

</poem>
AS: Persona! Yukari Takeba has used the Almighty skill Masukunda on Takaya Sakaki!
AS: Yukari Takeba regains 3 SP from Invigorate!

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>Suzume was actually in her room early.

She got back quick after class, as she isn't a part of any particular club or team and has no particular interest in hanging around to study. And anyway, she has other plans for the afternoon.

Specifically, practice time!

Suzume can't bring her tonfa down to the gym to practice (unlike, say, Akihiko and his fists, or Yukari and her bow) because carrying tonfa around in public is illegal without an excuse and she's not actually an official member of any martial arts clubs. She's not shy about doing it for actual SEES operations; she's brought them down to the station in a gym bag to go to Mementos, for instance, because the Kirijo shield is powerful. But going out to practice would get a lot of questions she doesn't want to answer.

So she's gotten into the habit of using the rooftop when nobody else is up there gardening to practice. Sometimes she does it with Reiya, who she trusts enough to work out with and whose ninja training is actually relevant; sometimes she does it with Shinjiro, though the style of practice is quite different.

Suzume is dressed in her gym outfit - open grey and red jacket over a white short-sleeved shirt, grey pants with a white stripe - and carrying her tonfa under her arm when something explodes, and worse, she feels It.

Something Is Wrong.

Suzume practically vaults up the remaining stairs to the rooftop and slams through the door, shoulder-first. "Reiya!" she calls, dropping his honourific in the tension of the moment. "Did you hear that? Did you FEEL that?"

Well, so much for hiding.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
<poem>
When it starts, Hitomi Mandai is reclining on her bed.

She had gotten back from school. She'd changed out of her uniform - hung it up. She didn't feel that athletic given that just the other day she had gone for an unwonted form of exertion in the form of a training jog with Sanada-sempai, but it's almost feeling nice, now.

Hitomi had, in fact, been reading her Blade World core book while laying on her side, thinking comfortable gray-blue thoughts about what it is that she's going to build into the next module she makes, now that she has some interested parties.

And then there's an explosion.

She wasn't used to explosions. Hitomi, alone, sits bolt upright with enough speed to send the book thrown across the room, her eyes wide as she looks around the room. The noise was distant. Something far away. Maybe it was just a car's engine backfiring or something, thinks Hitomi, before a sense of unease washes over her, a sense of something she can't quite place.

It crystallizes when she hears gunshots downstairs. Her pulse jackhammers. Cold sweat prickles at the back of her neck. She can feel the gnawing mindless terror-worms of panic start to climb up the inside of her ribcage. Her hands tremble. Several more gunshots.

Hitomi is even less used to gunshots. Though she has heard a great many, in a certain sense of the term, they were coming from a single origin point -- from Aigis -- and it was the Dark Hour, anyway, when things are allowed to be strange. But it isn't the Dark Hour now.

Hitomi thought she was blase, perhaps, because she watches a lot of horror movies. Nevertheless, her mind, already jacked to high alertness, reaches some sort of hyper-real plane of genuine horror. Those gunshots.

Who was it? Who was downstairs.

Was it Suzume? (She thinks of Suzume first.) Was it Yukari? Who got shot? She didn't hear a scream.

The others. Was it Akihiko? Was it Minato, or Minako?

come on dummy

Hitomi feels herself frozen. She wonders if she's gotten shot. If she's going to have a heart attack. Who were those gunshots for?

Was it Fuuka? Was it Aragaki?
come on

The icy feeling gets stronger. Her hands come up to cup her face, in horror; as if she can hide. Hide, she should hide, she thinks distantly.

Ririka? Reiya?
it isn't you

Hitomi feels like she can see outside of her body. For a moment the entire dorm room seems to be seen by her, as if from the top down. The world is spinning. She can feel it.

Junpei? Shizuka? Gould-san?
you have the advantage of surprise

Things grow steadier, plummeting now. Hitomi can hear a susurrous sound of every sound in her floor, all the subtle things she usually ignores, distant and muffled voices, and for a moment she thinks she's looking at herself, half curled, shaking, terrified.

Koromaru? Mitsuru? Amada?
do it

Everything shudders, shakes... and stops. Hitomi lifts her head. That cold terror isn't gone but it feels like something hot is resting on her shoulders. Like a hand, she supposes.

Hitomi knows she has to act. It may be only one throw. It may be too late for someone. It isn't too late for everyone. The building hasn't collapsed. Her head turns slightly, and she searches her room for something she can use.

AND THAT'S WHY

The door to Hitomi Mandai's dorm room is swung open.

And as for Hitomi herself?

Her heart lifts when she sees, hears, Yukari. So it wasn't Yukari! She doesn't have time to think further because she is running. Hitomi is running down the stairs in her pajama slacks and a T-shirt and she isn't stopping for anything as she runs down the stairs. By the simple quirk of her position, she turns towards the kitchen. And there she can see someone who she doesn't recognize.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORpQvQv3-pE

"Get" Hitomi begins as she doesn't so much stop as turn her momentum around, running towards that kitchen space.

"THE HELL" She is carrying something. It doesn't make any sense for her to be carrying it. It was the only thing she could find fast enough.

"OUT OF MY FUCKING HOUSE!!!" Hitomi screams as she hurls a perfectly functional 19-inch color CRT computer monitor directly at Noriaki Okada. Her face is contorted, pale, clammy, terror and fury having woven together.

Come what way, the monitor will not be functional for long.

</poem>

AS: Weapon! Hitomi Mandai has used the Strike skill Exploding Sixes on Noriaki Okaga! 3 Hits!
AS: Aggression: Hitomi Mandai gains 1 Limit!
AS: Take! Takaya Sakaki takes 0 Almighty damage from Yukari Takeba's Masukunda.
AS: Spd_Dn added!

<Pose Tracker> Minato Arisato has posed.
<poem>
Minato just got in from school; normally, track would be meeting today, but their team manager Yuko's caught a cold, and so told everyone to go home early and make sure they rest up to make sure ''they'' don't catch it from her, too.

He steps through the door... and avoids anyone making any comments from the couch, today! ''Safe!'' It's a relief, because if he ''is'' sick, he needs to get a mask from his room. It's for the good of SEES.

But Minato has barely stepped into his room -- when reality comes down around his ears with a terrifying VWOOP. It doesn't feel at all like the Dark Hour, to him; it's entirely another type of transgression, like everything up to and including his skin was degloved and placed inside-out.

You know! ''Wrong.''

Instead of a mask, he grabs his Evoker, and hurries back downstairs.

There's not far for Takaya to walk between the front door and the TV: it's in direct eyeline from the front door, on account of the open-room plan. That same open plan lets him look ''behind'' him, when that shirtless man appears, hearing the door blast open.

"Did a homeless man just break in and beeline to our kitchen," and it's shaped like a question, but Minato is deadpan as ever. If things feel this wrong... just like the reports, it must be a supernatural space. "Kawase-san? Yamagishi-san?" He asks, and he ''might'' look a little insane, speaking to open air. "Please inform everyone we're under attack. Are Amada-kun and Koromaru-chan still at the shrine?" Luckily, they are; Ken will be too busy blissfully walking the dog for either of them to be involved in this. "Two enemies have converged on the ground floor. We have explosions outside --"

And in here. BANG!

Minato turns back.

Minato sees their TV -- their poor, elderly television -- now shattered, a hole through the massive glass screen.

"That television has a family," he informs Takaya, his voice still even. But then -- Hitomi flings the computer monitor in her rage; he turns to her, still calm. "... had a family. Are you all right?"

He brings his Evoker to his head, and fires, just as calmly. "Orpheus."

That scarf-clad Persona rises, behind him, as he strums his lyre, and summons Orpheus to curse Takaya's strength as surely as his speed.

</poem>

AS: Persona! Minato Arisato has used the Almighty skill Tarunda on Takaya Sakaki!
AS: Pressure: Minato Arisato gains 1 Limit!
AS: Take! Takaya Sakaki takes 0 Almighty damage from Minato Arisato's Tarunda.
AS: Atk_Dn added!
AS: Persona! Ririka Kawase has used the Almighty skill Dissonant Song on Tatsuya Sudou!
AS: Insight: Ririka Kawase gains 1 Limit!
AS: Take! Tatsuya Sudou takes 0 Almighty damage from Ririka Kawase's Dissonant Song.
AS: Spd_Dn added!

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka had been studying in her dorm, humming quietly to herself as she scanned her textbook and took meticulous notes. Her desk was neat and orderly, just like her room. A place for everything, and everything in its place.

Then the explosion happened outside and she jerked upright. "What the hell--" She tossed her headphones onto the desk, not even bothering to hit pause, running for the door-- and then the wave of the supernatural spread out from Sudou and Ririka clutched at her head. "Wh-whoa--"

She knows that Resonance, having faced Sudou several times now. She sends out a message to everyone in the dorms. <<Everyone! I think that's the Joker Killer's Resonace! Be careful!>> But she can't ''snese'' anybody... <<... and someone's blocking my senses. Be careful.>>

She lunges for her closet to grab her Evoker and katana, then charges down the stairs two at a time to burst out the front door.

She bursts out the front, hair hair tied back in a low ponytail, dressed in shorts and a band t-shirt. The grip on her katana and Evoker tighten when she spots Sudou just standing in the wreckage. "You again!" She glances at Jin. "And ''you''... you're with Strega!" <<Everyone, watch out! The Joker Killer and a Strega member are here!>>

She puts her Evoker to her head, hand trembling for a moment as she steals herself. "Amphion!" A large stone man with a golden lyre rises up behind her, and Ririka points her Evoker at Sudou to direct Amphion. "Show him what kind of welcome he's getting!"

Amphion strums his lyre, sending waves of discordant sounds rushing at Sudou to try and disrupt him.

She glances to Koh. "This guy is strong against Fire and weak against water." She glances over to Fuuka and Shizuka. "... I haven't been able to analyze him yet, Yamagishi-san. But be careful--he had explosives when he attacked Kasu!"
</poem>

AS: Avoid Neutral! Noriaki Okaga takes 9 Strike damage from Hitomi Mandai's Exploding Sixes.
AS: Avoid Best! Noriaki Okaga takes 10 Strike damage from Hitomi Mandai's Exploding Sixes. Critical Hit!
AS: Block Neutral! Noriaki Okaga takes 30 Strike damage from Hitomi Mandai's Exploding Sixes. Critical Hit!

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Niko smiles as she hears the BOOM down below. "Nice one, Jin-chan." If she could hear it so clearly way up here, that's bound to have been plenty loud enough to draw some attention away from the dorms. Which meeeeans...

She slowly counts to ten in her head. That should be good enough. Then, she pushes off from the wall next to the door, stretches herself out, adds a few additional warmup stretches... and bends through her knees, narrowing her eyes in the direction of the rooftop of the dorm ahead of her.

She's higher up than it, but not by much. If she's judged the distance correctly, she should be able to comfortably make that jump. She just... has to do it. This thing that she didn't exactly get to practice beforehand, and would definitely lead to a poor end if she messes it up.

No big deal. Niko is too far beyond common sense to believe this has any chance of going badly for her. It's simple. Just run and jumps. So she runs... and jumps.

*thump*

Niko lands neatly in a crouch, having comfortably cleared the distance. She smiles brightly as she straightens up, casually taking a few steps forward. Rather than any hidden ninjas, what she spots first is... "Ooh. Got a garden up here? Nice."

That garden would definitely have had its bounty plucked - or, more likely, Reiya would have emerged from the shadows to stop that from happening. But neither can happen before Suzume bursts in, shouting for Reiya. Well, that's fine. Doesn't do anything to dampen Niko's mood.

"Well, look who it is... Suzu-chan! And you say Reiya-chan is somewhere around? Come out, come out, wherever you are~"

That's definitely the element of surprise gone. But... Niko isn't actually making any sort of hostile move. Beyond, you know, jumping onto their home's rooftop. You might consider that a little bit hostile.

This standoff is what Shinjiro ends up running into, and Niko is of course perfectly cheerful in her greeting. "Shin-chan too? Thought for sure you'd be running for the front door... well, that suits me fine. Let's all have a nice chat... about what you did to deserve this."

Or, you know. You could attack her instead. That's valid.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Takaya Sakaki has posed.
<poem>Takaya is well aware of Yukari as she start lecturing him. You don't belong here. There are kids here. Blah blah blah. Finally when she reacts to the television, the long haired man turns to look at her, smiling serenely.

"Thats just the thing...You parade around the Dark Hour like it is yours. And yet you want to claim to be children. Curious." Takaya trains the gun around and smiles as he points it toward Yukari. "Run before---"

And thats when Takaya feels the spell hit him. He feels his movement restricted. "Very well. You have wandered into the world of Adults and must be treated as one." Takaya points his large pistol toward Yukari, pulling back the hammer.

Then the next spell hits him, Takaya laughs as he can feel it all trying to bind him. They were trying to slow this down. Clever.

"Did it? Does she?" Takaya squeezes the trigger and fires at Yukari with a cold precision.

Takaya stops when he turns to look at Minato. This one was different...Takaya smiles despite having just shot this boys friend potentially.
</poem>

AS: Weapon! Takaya Sakaki has used the Pierce skill Coup de grace on Yukari Takeba! 2 Hits!
AS: Aggression: Takaya Sakaki gains 1 Limit!
AS: Weapon! Takaya Sakaki has used the Pierce skill Decisive Shot on Minato Arisato!

<Pose Tracker> Koh Katsuhiro has posed.
<poem>
Two red and white striped capsules roll out of their small bottle and into Koh Katsuhiro's palm. The now empty yellow and unlabeled plastic tube is discard on the desk next to him. He takes a brief break to press his palm to his forehead in a vain attempt to convince his brain to remain in his skull.

But the crash ''outside'' his head makes him jolt up and off his bed. "The hell-" The motion makes him wince, but the pain comes along with an unfamiliar emptiness.

The headache is put aside. The fumbled suppressants are snapped off desk and shoved into his mouth with a gulp of Pheromone Coffee (twice daily with vitamin supplements for smooth skin and thick hair) before he grabs his evoker, knife, and moves quickly out of the dorm and toward the disturbance.

"Yo, Kawase-" He gets about that far before he spots their guests and freezes. "The Joker Killer!? Like from the news!?" As if there were another one.

He forces himself to move after that short stutter. "Shit, okay, be careful! Where's everyone else!?" Evoker to goes to head. The trigger is pulled.

"Zagreus!"

The psychedelic rag with the golden mania mask appears behind him, using its single arm to squeeze a refreshing mist from the bloody heart it carries.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Shizuka Kuroki has posed.
<poem>
Shizuka is in her room, hard at work on one of Lucky Flash's next manga masterpiece. More like...

...mangasterpiece.

Wait shit that's good is that copyrighted? Gotta at least trademark that. Anyway, I'm getting distracted, she thinks as she shakes her head.

Hey Shizuka, here's a joke. What's more distracting than mulling over copyrights?

An explosion.

The shockwave of the explosion knocks Shizuka over, causing her pen to drag along her paper and completely ruin her punchline!

"What the hell?! There's not supposed to be a Shadow tonight..."

A gunshot. Then commotion. Shizuka grabs her Evoker off the holster hanging off her coat rack and rushes out the door, heading downstairs. She nearly freezes when she sees what's going on. Strega. Steeling her nerves as she rushes past Takaya, trusting Yuka-chan and Nato-kun to take care of him, and bolting out the front door to check on the explosion.

And then she nearly freezes again at the sight of the Joker Killer. Turns out when you get blown up by a guy, it takes a while to get over it. Her attention goes over to Jin, bringing her Evoker to her head and pulling the trigger, summoning her guardian cast in stone.

"GALATEA!"

Evoker gives way to knives as Shizuka stances up, staring Jin down. "That explosion must have been you, then. Fuu-chan, cover me!" She spins the butterfly knives to expose the blades, tossing them towards jin!
</poem>

AS: Weapon! Shizuka Kuroki has used the Pierce skill Chisel Toss on Jin Shirato! 2 Hits!

<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
<poem>An explosion rocks the dorm, and Fuuka startles out of bed. Before she can even ask what that was, she feels it - that awful, sickly feeling washing over the world.

It's familiar. The world has suddenly been plunged into the supernatural. ''Here''. That explosion... it can't be a coincidence.

"Everyone, we're under attack!" Fuuka warns SEES, reaching out to whoever she can reach through the Navigator's telepathic link. "I can't sense who it is... someone must be interfering from afar."

Her training with Reiya has helped push through that, but whoever is responsible for this interference must be an expert. She can only feel the absence... but there is ''one'' thing she can feel, which Ririka puts a name to.

"The Joker Killer? He's here...?" Fuuka replies. She breathes in deep, trying to calm herself. Thankfully, their leader's words reach her, helping her to focus..

"Arisato-san! Understood. And, yes, I believe so... Thank goodness." She replies to Minato, before addressing everyone else.

"Everyone, be careful and don't let yourself get separated - find someone and stick with them! I'm going to investigate the explosion - I'd like some people to come with me..." Fuuka requests. Her laptop is locked, shut down, and stowed away in its case, and she moves to grab her uniform's capelet and headphones from the wardrobe, sliding them on. There's no time for the full uniform, but that's easy enough to do.

Once she's ready, she hurries out the door, locking it behind her, to join up with the others, making her way to the alleyway where the explosion went off.

...Unfortunately, it seems the place she chose happened to be the very place where the Joker Killer himself was camping out.

Fuuka looks from Sudou to Jin - focusing on the latter as Ririka warns them about the explosives.

"I see... Thank you." Fuuka replies, then looks toward Jin. He seems... a bit more likely to be open to reason than the ''Joker Killer''.

"Why are you doing this...?" Fuuka asks.

Shizuka asks her to cover her, though, so Fuuka nods.

"I'll support you." She assures. She draws out her Evoker, then, shutting her eyes.

"Lucia...! Show us the way..." Fuuka entreats. Her eyes open again, shining blue, as she studies Jin. Trying to pierce the veil the Anti-Navigator has placed over her eyes, to perceive what it is he can do and warn the others.
</poem>

AS: Persona! Fuuka Yamagishi has used the Almighty skill Divination on Jin Shirato!
AS: Insight: Fuuka Yamagishi gains 1 Limit!
AS: Avoid Best! Yukari Takeba takes 7 Pierce damage from Takaya Sakaki's Coup de grace. Critical Hit!
AS: Avoid Neutral! Yukari Takeba takes 21 Pierce damage from Takaya Sakaki's Coup de grace. Critical Hit!
AS: Avoid Worst! Jin Shirato takes 25 Pierce damage from Shizuka Kuroki's Chisel Toss.
AS: Avoid Best! Jin Shirato takes 4 Pierce damage from Shizuka Kuroki's Chisel Toss.
AS: Persona! Koh Katsuhiro has used the Recovery skill Healing Wave on Ririka Kawase!
AS: Support: Koh Katsuhiro gains 1 Limit!
AS: Take! Jin Shirato takes 0 Almighty damage from Fuuka Yamagishi's Divination.
AS: Atk_Dn added!
AS: Fuuka Yamagishi's Support Scan! Jin Shirato has passive skills Fire Boost, Heavy Weapon, Mind Shield, and Schadenfreude!

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem> Gunshots. And shouting.

Reiya looks to Suzume sharply when she calls for him--and then, "I heard." That will do away with his stealth approach for the moment...

But that's not unbearable, because Niko doesn't immediately attack. Reiya turns towards her, reachig into his jacket with his non-Evoker hand. "No," Reiya answers simply, and throws a few poisoned needles at Niko. The poison won't be lethal--but in a cognitive space, it will be even more effective.

"You are a distraction," Reiya says. "Your allies have attacked our dorm, and perhaps our neighbors. And the longer you have us held up, the less opportunity we have to help our own allies and friends."

"Surrender or fall."
</poem>

AS: Weapon! Reiya Aomori has used the Pierce skill Venom Throw on Niko Kirisaki! 2 Hits!
AS: Ruin: Reiya Aomori gains 1 Limit!
AS: Mind Up! Niko Kirisaki's SP +8!
AS: Block Best! Niko Kirisaki takes 9 Pierce damage from Reiya Aomori's Venom Throw.
AS: Poison added!
AS: Block Best! Niko Kirisaki takes 9 Pierce damage from Reiya Aomori's Venom Throw.
AS: Poison added!
AS: Block Best! Minato Arisato takes 8 Pierce damage from Takaya Sakaki's Decisive Shot.

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis had been in her room after school, trying (and failing) to understand her recent literature assignment. School, as she's found, has been a worthwhile endeavor to keep her busy during the day when she would otherwise remain idle, deactivated, or recharging.

This is the rhythm which she had adapted to thus far: broaden her horizons during the day, then venture out during the Dark Hour to fulfill her designed purpose and defeat Shadows. Neatly-regimented blocks of time, alternating between safety and peril.

It starts with a nearby explosion. While this does concern her at first, it does not alarm her: she doesn't perceive it as something targeting SEES, nor anything to do with the supernatural.

Then an atmosphere ''similar to'' (but distinct from) the Dark Hour descends, despite the fact that there's still sunlight outside, further backed up by the time indicated by Aigis' on-board clock. The option to summon Palladion is available to her, she feels this, even at this time of day, without most of humanity transmogrified into coffins.

Just as quickly as she had established a new sense of normalcy, it had been shattered and revealed to have been nothing more than an illusion all this time.

She rushes downstairs to see what the commotion is about, and it's here that she sees those assembled in the common room.

''BANG''

At Yukari's question about if Takaya brought a real gun into the dorm, Aigis turns her head to briefly look at her as she inquisitively holds up one of her hands -- but quickly realizes that she should instead be concerned about someone with a gun in the vicinity

with Minato right there.

For all the calm Minato demonstrates in this moment, every internal alarm in Aigis' mind is going off. She ''has'' to protect him -- the stakes are too high, the consequences too dire.

At first, she points her own fingers at Takaya, but she hears the crash of Hitomi's hurled monitor in Noriaki's direction. Yukari's by his side -- recalling their earlier conversation, she gives her a firm nod, then turns to stand by Hitomi's side and instead aim her arm in Noriaki's direction.

"Palladion! Actualize!" Twin auras of red blue emanate from her statuesque, immobile Persona and empower herself and her allies, imbuing them with divine strength and protection alike.

More quietly, still facing Noriaki, she casts a glance back to Minato and Yukari and utters, "... I am counting on you, Takeba-san."

</poem>
AS: Persona! Aigis has used the Recovery skill Spear and Shield on Aigis, Hitomi Mandai, Minato Arisato, and Yukari Takeba!
AS: Pressure: Aigis gains 1 Limit!
AS: Aigis regains 3 SP from Invigorate!
AS: Take! Aigis takes 0 Recovery healing from Aigis's Spear and Shield.
AS: Atk_Up and Def_Up added!
AS: Take! Minato Arisato takes 0 Recovery healing from Aigis's Spear and Shield.
AS: Atk_Up and Def_Up added!
AS: Take! Hitomi Mandai takes 0 Recovery healing from Aigis's Spear and Shield.
AS: Atk_Up and Def_Up added!

<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>As Shinjiro barrels out, spotting Niko, Suzume, and Reiya, his face is angry... but it's also concerned. What that concern is for isn't clear, as he shouts out the second he gets out there.

"Niko! What the fuck are you doing?!" he calls out, having expected she'd be here. "Get the fuck out of here! Goddamn it, this isn't..."

He's steadying himself, not fully, but enough to not just charge her. As Reiya throws those needles, he's fumbling for his Evoker.

"Niko, *please*, don't do this."

He's scared more than anything. He's mad, sure, very angry, but he's scared about losing the only home he has left, the one he just started getting comfortable in.

He puts the Evoker to his head, pulling the trigger. Instead of coming out in an attack, he clutches his chest as Castor saps blood-red energy from him, power overwhelming him in an instant.

"Damn it... goddamn it!"
</poem>

AS: Take! Ririka Kawase takes 0 Recovery healing from Koh Katsuhiro's Healing Wave.
AS: Regen added!

<Pose Tracker> Jin Shirato has posed.
<poem>
"Nah, I think I'll stay out here." Not that Jin wasn't curious or anything, but he always wanted to make sure he had an exit strategy. And it was far easier to make a hasty departure from the streets than it was from a building's interior.

Or roof for that matter. Jin's eyes briefly flicker up to the rooftop, where Niko is -- or will be soon, anyway. That knucklehead'd be able to get outta there just fine, even if it meant hitting her hard head on the way down.

Jin isn't able to ruminate for long, though. Sure enough, some of the SEES start pouring out of the entrance, starting with Ririka Kawase.

"Yeah, what's it to ya?"

Before he can engage in any further verbal parlay, Jin is waylaid by Shizuka's knives. "Shit..." Jin attempts to jump out of the way, but isn't fast enough. He's a little more successful in dodging the second, but the blow still swipes him, cutting through his jacket in the process.

Another girl joins the first, and she casts something -- but nothing obviously happens. Some kinda support spell? Jin isn't quite sure yet.

He is sure of something, though.

"I guess I should have asked Shin-''chan'' for more intel before we showed up here," he calls out to Sudou, but he wants to make sure that the SEES members hear it. He utters the honorific in the same tone some people would utter the word 'roach'.

"It's too bad." Jin pulls a grenade off his belt and throws it.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Sudou has posed.
<poem>

The Joker Killer stands up at the sight of the healer, "Yes it's you...you....healer person." Ok he may have never gotten Ririka's name, but it's not like they have ever sat around during the dark hour and shared drinks, or chatted during battles or anything. "Also it's rude for you to just tell things about me. We aren't on that sorta level."

Sudou stands and as the magic of 'Healer person' he feels a bit sluggish. "Oh man I will admit I was hoping for someone else. Like that fake joker to be staying with y'all or something." He lifts his so called sword, a gnarly piece of metal that looks like it was beaten into a sword shape with a rock, on fire with whatever substance was used for the explosion, and some added magic. Thats when he sees another person do it, break Sudou's one rule for combat. No healing for the good guys. " Well I guess if we are doing this." He slings his sword over his shoulder and charges in towards the two.

"First off, let me share a little about healer person here. She is strong in pissing me off for healing people and telling people my business." Sudou says before he out right tries to punch her in face, because he is rude like that. "Weak however." Turning he looks at Koh, "You though, you seem new. Have I killed someone you love yet? Do you have someone you'd like me to try to kill? Eh either way you are still in need of punishment for what you just did." Taking the burning sword he slashes wide trying to cut Koh in two.
</poem>

AS: Persona! Shinjiro Aragaki has used the Almighty skill Bloody Charge on Shinjiro Aragaki!
AS: Pressure: Shinjiro Aragaki gains 1 Limit!
AS: Shinjiro Aragaki regains 15 HP from Regenerate!
AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Strike skill Sonic Punch on Ririka Kawase!
AS: Take! Shinjiro Aragaki takes 0 Almighty damage from Shinjiro Aragaki's Bloody Charge.
AS: Atk_Up, Crt_Up, and Def_Up added!
AS: Tandem! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Fire skill Burning Slash on Koh Katsuhiro!
AS: Weapon! Jin Shirato has used the Pierce skill Error 404: Not Found on Fuuka Yamagishi!
AS: Weapon! Jin Shirato has used the Pierce skill Error 404: Not Found on Shizuka Kuroki!
AS: Counter Worst! Fuuka Yamagishi takes 70 Pierce damage from Jin Shirato's Error 404: Not Found.
AS: COUNTER! Jin Shirato takes 36 Pierce damage in return for his attack!
AS: Avoid Best! Koh Katsuhiro takes 27 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Burning Slash. Critical Hit!
AS: Poison added!
AS: Take! Yukari Takeba takes 0 Recovery healing from Aigis's Spear and Shield.
AS: Atk_Up and Def_Up added!
AS: Avoid Worst! Shizuka Kuroki takes 81 Pierce damage from Jin Shirato's Error 404: Not Found. Weak!

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
<poem>
"Mayyy... be?" Is her answer to Minato, since she didn't actually see Noriaki, just heard the ''rummage''.

'That television has a family...'

She liked it too, but everything is so absurd here that she can't help but doubt whether she ''actually'' heard a bomb. What's the deal here!? Hitomi rushes the kitchen with the monitor, "Get them, Mandai!"

Then Takaya answers her, an answer that puzzles her. "Like it's ours!?" Pause, "Uhh what gave you that impression? You know it's kinda everywhere right?"

Still that statement hits home in a way that even Takaya might not expect.

'like it is yours'

It kinda is, in a sense - given what her father did. It's his mess, and he's no longer around to clean it up.

Who does it fall to, then?

"The world of-" All that is stolen away when Takaya points a gun at her. Suddenly the absurdity becomes deadly serious once more.

She stares down at the gun, shocked and appalled- in a way that might seem like she's just frozen up. However, Minato interrupts the action, long enough for Yukari to start to run towards the couch.

Takaya fires at her, and one grazes her SEES sleeve. The next shot is deflected by Io's winds pushing the shot to veer off.

"Haaaa.... ha..." She breathes hard, looking at the gouge in her sleeve, his words etching into her mind.

'Does she?'

No... not really. The only family she has abandoned her, abandoned her father. She has nothing to speak of.

A real gun. Something about it feels different, worse, more real - more serious when it's pointed your way than even the sensation of facing death with an Evoker.

'..I am counting on you Takeba-san.' Her breath stills, as she looks behind herself at Aigis, surprised as Palladion empowers her. Given her purpose that she'd leave it to her...

... she needs to be worthy of that trust...

"I've got him." She tells her, gathering her courage to act.

"Don't... don't talk to me about the world of adults..." She stands up suddenly, pressing her gun to her head, "... WHEN YOU CAN'T EVEN DRESS LIKE ONE!"

The trigger is pulled, and Io comes to bear again, the winds rising in a furious swell, as they then rush forward to slam into Takaya again - and again, trying to throw him off-balance...

... for Minato to capitalize on.

</poem>
AS: Yukari Takeba spends Limit on Shift! Minato Arisato can use another Weak skill this round! They both receive 8 SP and 30 HP!

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>In Suzume's defense, she wasn't expecting someone on the roof. Who'd climb all the way up here without being noticed? She figured she was going to join up with Reiya and work their way downstairs to whatever the actual problem was.

So she reddens slightly when Reiya looks at her sharply despite herself, scowling, but doesn't actually SAY any of that. Not with Niko right there.

"It's Suzume," she says, emphasizing the last. "Suzu's a different name. And I don't think you get to call me -chan." She was nicer (marginally) the last time they met - but that was before Ririka told her who Niko *really* was, and that Suzume had been in danger from her.

She looks challengingly at Niko. "It's like he says," she agrees with Reiya. But... "What do you mean, *deserve it*?" She steps forward again, pushing herself in front of Shinjiro. He's charging; she moves to cover him, raising one of her tonfa in a blocking position, almost like that of a boxer. "You're the one barging in here! I heard an explosion! And something else - " They can summon Personas. That means someone is doing something, because it's not the Dark Hour.

Only one though, because she's gotten her Evoker out with the other. She has been getting used to carrying that in whatever jacket she's in. "ATALANTA!" she calls, firing, as her Persona appears, a woman in her lionskin cloak and short tunic, raising a bowgun mounted on her right bracer.

Atalanta fires, a single shot that trails a bright, cheerful pink light and explodes into white sparkles and little hearts.

...look, Suzume doesn't pick the aesthetics.
</poem>

AS: Persona! Yukari Takeba has used the Wind skill Consecutive Garula on Takaya Sakaki! 2 Hits!
AS: Yukari Takeba regains 3 SP from Invigorate!
AS: Persona! Suzume Fukura has used the Pierce skill Holy Arrow on Niko Kirisaki!
AS: Pressure: Suzume Fukura gains 1 Limit!

<Pose Tracker> Noriaki Okaga has posed.
<poem>
"Eh? Is that it? Ain't these kiddos got any ''real'' food in here? What's this, chicken? Egg? Who's eatin' all this shit," grouses Noriaki, content to ignore Yukari (and Minato) as he digs deeper into the dorm's fridge. "Eh, whatever. If that's the shit kids eat these days--"

There's a sound, just at the entrance to the kitchen. Noriaki, like a weasel alerting at the entrance to its den, snaps upright, a sealed container of plain cooked chicken in hand.

It's then that Hitomi throws a CRT monitor directly at his head. In a normal situation, this might well have gone as well for him as anyone would expect. But--

Red light scratches through the air as the monitor hurtles through the air at him. It impacts a metal skeletal arm directly.

It impacts another metal skeletal arm directly.

It impacts yet another--

The monitor lands, solidly, on the floor at his feet.

"Tchh..." hisses Noriaki at Hitomi, shaking his head slowly. "Almost had me there, girly." Before him shimmers the form of Efnysien, a great shadowy form occupying a cauldron stuffed full of metal skeletons. "So, which one of ya's the asshole with all the plain cooked chicken? I ain't complaining, but where's the good shit? Don't tell me all you kiddos went on a 'health food' kick?"

And then, they're not alone in here, are they.

"...The Kirijo robot. So we meet again!" Noriaki bows, dramatically, extending one arm widely to the side in a gesture that would have more at home on the stage. "I ain't forgotten about last time, though. And I'm reaaaal good at keepin' a frudge! Let's see how you like them apples! Efnysien!"

At that, the shadowy figure snaps the broken toy-horse-on-a-string like a bludgeon for Aigis. It's a blow that, however it lands, won't leave a mark, but--

"And you, girly! Throwin' a monitor at me like that... where's the hospitality?! I got one for you, too!" On the rebound Efnysien launches that toy-horse flail directly at her but unlike the strike at Aigis, this one is all physical force.

Not to be outdone by his Persona, Noriaki fishes in the front pocket of his hoodie and pulls out a very, very illegal butterfly knife.

He twirls it about, snapping it into position to brandish it in his left hand as a promise.
</poem>

AS: Persona! Noriaki Okaga has used the Almighty skill Strike Break on Aigis!
AS: Persona! Noriaki Okaga has used the Strike skill Bash on Hitomi Mandai!
AS: Counter Best! Takaya Sakaki takes 96 Wind damage from Yukari Takeba's Consecutive Garula.
AS: Haze added!
AS: COUNTER! Yukari Takeba takes 51 Wind damage in return for her attack! Resist!
AS: Block Worst! Niko Kirisaki takes 118 Pierce damage from Suzume Fukura's Holy Arrow. Critical Hit!
AS: Charm added!
AS: Counter Neutral! Hitomi Mandai takes 108 Strike damage from Noriaki Okaga's Bash.
AS: COUNTER! Noriaki Okaga takes 58 Strike damage in return for his attack!
AS: Take! Aigis takes 0 Almighty damage from Noriaki Okaga's Strike Break.
AS: Strike_Break added!

<Pose Tracker> Shizuka Kuroki has posed.
<poem>
Speaking of getting blown up! Shizuka tries to dive out of the way of the grenade, but the force of the blast just sends her back towards Fuuka, slamming to the ground.

"Just my luck... I'm okay..." She pulls herself up, thankfully not as bad as when the Joker Killer had his turn on her, and dusts herself off. "Shoulda listened to Rika-chan.. Anyway!"

Deciding to stay a bit back now, she fires her Evoker, summoning Galatea to drop a shower of stone onto the firebug.
</poem>

AS: Persona! Shizuka Kuroki has used the Earth skill Landslide on Jin Shirato!
AS: Avoid Neutral! Jin Shirato takes 109 Earth damage from Shizuka Kuroki's Landslide. Critical Hit! Weak!

<Pose Tracker> Minato Arisato has posed.
<poem>
Takaya drops the hammer.

Understand: there are so many noises happening, around them, as they speak. There is the explosion, outside -- the sounds of demons; fighting, up the stairs, and any psychic information their Navigators are providing them.

It doesn't matter.

The volume on everything turns way down -- down -- down;

until all Minato hears is the stolid ''clunk'' of a handgun's hammer drawn back.

Does Yukari have a family?

Orpheus flares to life in front of him; the bullet Takaya fired, without care for blood, slams deeply into his artifice. (It would have been Minato's shoulder, Aigis can tell -- and tell easily, surely, from the trajectory to the intercepted impact point.)

Aigis is here. He should think at once that she is far more suited to do this -- she would ''rather'' do this; Hitomi might be barking mad at the intrusion, but Aigis has practiced combat more than any of them.

But all he's thinking about, in that instant, is the colour of Yukari's blood.

He doesn't see it, on her dress.

Thusly is he still, a few more moments. He lets Yukari's winds blast the man, as he calls, again -- "Orpheus."

This time, when the Persona rises, it's with all the blazing heat of Agilao; mercifully, the Persona's magic is targeted at the ''Persona,'' or the man using it, so he's unlikely to set the dorm aflame.

As the flames blast out, though, Minato takes a step, another --

-- and leaps for Takaya, meaning to quite physically tackle him to the ground.

... he's going for the gun.

</poem>
AS: Persona! Minato Arisato has used the Fire skill Agilao on Takaya Sakaki!
AS: Pressure: Minato Arisato gains 1 Limit!
AS: Weapon! Minato Arisato has used the Strike skill Followup Strike on Takaya Sakaki! 2 Hits!
AS: Counter Neutral! Takaya Sakaki takes 144 Wind damage from Yukari Takeba's Consecutive Garula. Critical Hit!
AS: COUNTER! Yukari Takeba takes 51 Wind damage in return for her attack! Resist!
AS: Counter Neutral! Takaya Sakaki takes 175 Fire damage from Minato Arisato's Agilao.
AS: Haze added!
AS: COUNTER! Minato Arisato takes 62 Fire damage in return for his attack! Resist!
AS: Counter Worst! Takaya Sakaki takes 55 Strike damage from Minato Arisato's Followup Strike.
AS: COUNTER! Minato Arisato takes 17 Strike damage in return for his attack!
AS: Take! Takaya Sakaki takes 119 Strike damage from Minato Arisato's Followup Strike. Critical Hit!
AS: Counter Worst! Ririka Kawase takes 111 Strike damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Sonic Punch.
AS: Haze added!
AS: COUNTER! Tatsuya Sudou takes 27 Strike damage in return for his attack!

<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
<poem>
Hitomi has her back turned to Takaya, to Yukari, to Minato. That's probably good. She would have probably taken those two rounds directly to the torso and fulfilled everyone's nightmare. Hitomi doesn't see them right now; the world has contracted to a throbbing, purposeful tunnel.

She has the enemy before her.

It might be thought that this is a look of supreme determination or exalted fury. It is neither. Hitomi's face is pallid, her features contorted with anger that is almost as much terror as anything. She may have used most of what she had to bring that heavy chunk of electronics downstairs and hurl it at someone -

And she did that much. She took Noriaki by surprise (though of course she doesn't know his name - if she was briefed, it is definitely not in her nervous system right now) - and he called forth his Persona. Metal clangs against plastic. There is a pop, a smash, a rupture of glass - a discharge of power, sadly not into anyone in particular.

"That's sempai's dinner you asshole," Hitomi answers him on automatic pilot. Her face is twisted with outrage. It might be more effective if there weren't tears on her cheeks. But what he said -

Hitomi's awareness shifts a little. She hears a voice.

Her head turns a little, too. That furious tunnel seems to be deflating, retracting, as her awareness shifts and that voice was familiar and for a moment in her peripheral version she can see Aigis. Some of it, no doubt, was the blessing she had called down, but in this moment Hitomi does not even see the Persona. All she can see is Aigis.

Aigis, their new ally. Aigis, the mysterious Anti-Shadow weapon. Aigis, who has guns in her hands. Aigis, who can, at least, avenge whoever died.

"Aigis," Hitomi says, face crumpling.

"A--aigis you have to suh, stop them, I don't know what's going on, they have a gun and -" Hitomi lets out a yelp as she hears a grenade detonating in the distance. Her feelings surge through a trough of despond as she looks away from her, towards HIM.

"You," she begins, before the flailing strikes towards her and Hitomi's possible rebuttal vanishes into a pained yelp. It isn't quite a scream, but it's edging towards it.

But it does sink something into her mind.

If *he* can do that... then...

"I SAID GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!!" Hitomi shrieks, and then she says "TYCHE!" and that's when the statue looms above her and if the solemn yet serene face of the Greek-style statue looks a little more ominously shadowed, it's probably just because of all the chaos. Especially when the fire rips out from in front of the fortune-goddess's hand and aims to sear Noriaki, even as Hitomi gives that broken monitor a furious kick she will be feeling for several weeks later if she lives BUT

Which also sends it toppling TOWARDS him, a large dumb object to say the least.

</poem>
AS: Persona! Hitomi Mandai has used the Fire skill Agilao on Noriaki Okaga!

<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
<poem>Through Lucia, Fuuka receives flashes of insight.

"I see... Be careful, Kuroki-san. His explosives are powerful... expect Fire, too." Fuuka warns, over the Navigator link. She glances toward Ririka and Koh. She's concerned about them... but they have their hands full with their current opponent - as does she. Speaking of - Jin says something.

"'Shin-chan'...?" Fuuka repeats. That name... She's quiet. She doesn't say anything further. It seems intentional, doesn't it...? Now's not the time to throw speculation around, anyway - not when there's an explosive heading right for them. The grenade explodes against Lucia's protective globe. Fuuka gasps sharply, feeling the backlash even as Lucia does her best to defend her... but the resulting shockwave erupts back out toward Jin himself, as well, as Lucia repels it.

"Are you alright...?" Fuuka asks Shizuka, who seems to have gotten the worst of it. She insists she's okay, though. So...

"Spirits of wind... Protect us from harm." Fuuka murmurs. The wind picks up, wrapping around Fuuka and Shizuka - softening blows, and making them both lighter on their feet. It carries with it a healing wave, to mend their injuries.

"Who are you?" Fuuka asks. Jin seems cunning... she isn't certain he'll answer, but any information would be helpful.
</poem>

AS: Fuuka Yamagishi spends Limit on Exploit! Fuuka Yamagishi can use another Weak skill this round!
AS: Persona! Fuuka Yamagishi has used the Recovery skill Sylphid Aura on Shizuka Kuroki and Fuuka Yamagishi!
AS: Take! Fuuka Yamagishi takes 0 Recovery healing from Fuuka Yamagishi's Sylphid Aura.
AS: Def_Up and Spd_Up added!
AS: Persona! Fuuka Yamagishi has used the Recovery skill Healing Wave on Fuuka Yamagishi and Shizuka Kuroki!
AS: Insight: Fuuka Yamagishi gains 1 Limit!
AS: Take! Fuuka Yamagishi takes 0 Recovery healing from Fuuka Yamagishi's Healing Wave.
AS: Regen added!
AS: Take! Shizuka Kuroki takes 0 Recovery healing from Fuuka Yamagishi's Sylphid Aura.
AS: Def_Up and Spd_Up added!
AS: Take! Shizuka Kuroki takes 0 Recovery healing from Fuuka Yamagishi's Healing Wave.
AS: Regen added!

<Pose Tracker> Takaya Sakaki has posed.
<poem>Takaya is oblivious to Yukari's feelings on the gun. He merely stares at her with a raises brow, even after pulling the trigger. The thing that does make him smile is that quip about his attire.

Takaya doesn't dodge the incoming attack. The slender man is knocked back, looking like he is overwhelmed. I mean look at how boney he is!

Then Minato and Orpheus kick the living day lights out of him.

Each attack seems to hit the mark. The long haired man tries to fight back but is knocked back again and again.

Finally Takaya is knocked behind the couch, bleeding. There is a long pause of nothing from Strega's leader.

Finally there is a small laugh from Takaya as he seems to get up. He cracks his neck and smiles like an old friend at Minato. "My, my...You children do understand. Then lets dance."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GaKK7zphfA

Takaya points his gun at his head, his smile widening. Was he going to summon his Persona?

He doesn't pull the trigger. Takaya does take note of their expression, wanting to keep messing with SEES for as long as he could.

From behind him, a pale white body begins to manifest, helding in the air by pulsating wings made of veins. The Persona looked sick somehow as it pulsates unnaturally.

"Persona..." His eyes go to Yukari as his Persona's dead face leans up and suddenly just 'smiles' at Yukari. At the same time, Hypnos arm draws back and sends a Cleaving Strike toward Minato.
</poem>

AS: Persona! Takaya Sakaki has used the Almighty skill Evil Smile on Yukari Takeba!
AS: Persona! Takaya Sakaki has used the Slash skill Cleave on Minato Arisato!
AS: Take! Yukari Takeba takes 0 Almighty damage from Takaya Sakaki's Evil Smile.
AS: Sick added!

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
To deal with the most important matter first, Niko calmly responds, "Too many syllables. If you don't like Suzu-chan, then... we can go with Zume-chan." Of course the -chan stays, that was never an argument.

'No' is a fair reaction, really, even Niko would agree. She was ready to be attacked for this, instinctively raising an arm to protect herself when Reiya is the first to do so. There's only bare skin there, which in her case is enough to mitigate damage, but it doesn't exactly do anything to prevent the needles from doing what they're meant to. Niko frowns at that, casually plucking the sharp objects out and tossing them aside.

"Was that supposed to hurt? You'll have to do better than--"

She flinches, instantly realizing, "...Fighting dirty, are we?" Her body might be able handle poison better than most in the long run, but she also feels the effects quicker than most. Kind of a net wash that way.

Shinjiro gets a headshake, making a way bigger deal out of this than she thinks he should be. "You knew this was coming, Shin-chan. Too late to get cold feet about your choices now."

As for 'surrender'? "That's my line. Or it would be, but after that little stunt, I think we both know I'd be lying if I said I'd prefer you to surrender peacefully."

Suzume grants her wish, shooting her with an arrow which - makes her smile? "That's right... that's how it is, isn't it? There's no reason to hold back, is there?!"

With a manic laugh, Niko draws her own Evoker, haphazardly firing it in the general direction of her forehead. "ATE, GOOO!"

The giant, blue-tinted spectral head that is Ate appears behind Niko, long hair whipping about its user as a red aura empowers her. Psychedelic purple light is sent out to strike at Reiya and Suzume both, while Ate locks the empty hollows it has for eyes with Shinjiro, attacking his already weakened mind directly to sap his resolve.

"And YOU," she growls, turning to Reiya. "You don't get to act like that to me, after the way you lied to my face. You think I didn't know what SEES is ''really'' trying to do?!"
</poem>

AS: Persona! Niko Kirisaki has used the Almighty skill Tarukaja on Niko Kirisaki!
AS: Charm results in party damage! Niko Kirisaki takes 90 damage!
AS: Take! Niko Kirisaki takes 0 Almighty damage from Niko Kirisaki's Tarukaja.
AS: Atk_Up added!
AS: Persona! Niko Kirisaki has used the Elec skill Mapsio on Reiya Aomori and Suzume Fukura!
AS: Ruin: Niko Kirisaki gains 1 Limit!
AS: Persona! Niko Kirisaki has used the Almighty skill Soul Break on Shinjiro Aragaki!
AS: Niko Kirisaki: Loses 70 HP from Poison!
AS: Take! Shinjiro Aragaki takes 0 Almighty damage from Niko Kirisaki's Soul Break.
AS: Block Worst! Noriaki Okaga takes 249 Fire damage from Hitomi Mandai's Agilao. Critical Hit!
AS: Haze added!
AS: Block Neutral! Suzume Fukura takes 138 Elec damage from Niko Kirisaki's Mapsio. Critical Hit!
AS: Block Worst! Minato Arisato takes 26 Slash damage from Takaya Sakaki's Cleave.
AS: Avoid Worst! Reiya Aomori takes 164 Elec damage from Niko Kirisaki's Mapsio. Weak! Avoid Elec!

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Koh asks if it's the Joker Killer from the news. "''Yes''," she says, rather emphatically. "I don't know what his deal is but watch out if he summons his Persona, it's mega weird."

Wait-- does that imply he'll be fighting ''without'' it? Look, there might be too much to explain in a snappy manner. But a healing mist comes for her, and she relaxes just a bit as she takes it in. "Thanks, Katsuhiro-san."

Shizuka comments on the explosives. "Senpai, he put down a ''landmine'' in front of Kasu and blew up a guy's bike with him on it!" She gives a short nod to Fuuka. "Welcome."

Jin asks 'what's it to her'-- "Don't you have something better to do than attacking schools and dorms?" But the frown deepens as Jin calls out 'Shin''-chan''.' "Who...?"

Nobody refers to Shinjiro that way, that she's aware of, so it doesn't click.

Healer person. Ririka scoffs. "I can do more than just heal." She would never share a drink with the Joker Killer. For one thing, she's underage. For another, ''he's the freaking Joker Killer.''

"... Rude? For real? What do you call attacking our dorm, huh?"

But the Joker Killer comes for her with a punch to the face, and Ririka, having recently done some combat training, tries to counter the attack. But she fumbles with her katana--she doesn't even get it unsheathed, instead hitting with the very blunt sheath.

And also she gets hit right in the face, sent reeling back, dropping her sheathed katana as she clutches her face. "''Fuck.''" She pulls her hand away to see something warm and red dribbling down it. Ironically, given the circumstances, that makes her blood run a little ''colder''.

Still clutching her face, her eyes narrow at the Joker Killer. "Who are you here for?" That's how this works, right? Someone calls the Joker Killer and he shows up to do some killing?

At least Koh's magic stops the bleeding, and with her hands free she gestures for Amphion. "Marakukaja!" Amphion strums, and the fortifying power of the earth flows up from the ground into Ririka and Koh to help strengthen their defenses.
</poem>

AS: Persona! Ririka Kawase has used the Almighty skill Marakukaja on Koh Katsuhiro and Ririka Kawase!
AS: Ririka Kawase: Gains 72 HP from Regen! Haze removed!
AS: Take! Ririka Kawase takes 0 Almighty damage from Ririka Kawase's Marakukaja.
AS: Def_Up added!

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
'The Kirijo robot.' Aigis coldly stares back at Noriaki. She hasn't forgotten, either. She has her arm squarely pointed at his center of mass. All she has to do now is will it and fire at him. It's necessary to keep him safe -- to keep them safe. It's a simple matter, surely --

It should be simple, but to her own dawning horror, she finds herself hesitant to open fire on him so directly. This should be a well-practiced motion, this should be effortless, the cost/benefit ratio clearly tilts one way, but some part of herself refuses to obey.

Efnysien appears and strikes her with that toy horse. It's the same as it was that night where they had encountered each other earlier: it's the indignity of it all.

Efnysien's strike and Hitomi's pleas snap her to her senses.

Her duty is to eliminate Shadows in order to protect people. Not just the Arisato siblings, but ''everyone''. That includes Hitomi.

That includes Noriaki.

"The Kirijo robot," Aigis finally repeats out loud, then stretches her hand out to make a 'come hither' gesture to Noriaki. "It is me you want."

Aigis has far fewer compunctions about shooting Noriaki's ''Persona'', on the other hand, and she levels her arm in ''his'' direction. With a click, a whirring sound, and the brief glow of blue in Aigis' eyes, Palladion stirs to action once more: first, it cloaks Hitomi, obscuring her from view, and second, it points its own cannon in Efnysien's direction. Simultaneously, Aigis and Palladion open fire on Efnysien, demonstrating the full extent of the cold, mechanical fury she's capable of.

</poem>
AS: Aigis spends Limit on Exploit! Aigis can use another Weak skill this round!
AS: Persona! Aigis has used the Recovery skill Doronpa on Hitomi Mandai!
AS: Pressure: Aigis gains 1 Limit!
AS: Tandem! Aigis has used the Pierce skill Dual Thrust on Noriaki Okaga! 2 Hits!
AS: Aigis regains 3 SP from Invigorate!
AS: Take! Hitomi Mandai takes 0 Recovery healing from Aigis's Doronpa.
AS: Cloak added!

<Pose Tracker> Jin Shirato has posed.
<poem>
Rocks fall, but nobody dies. (Yet!)

"Shit!" Jin doesn't have many weaknesses, but Earth just happens to be one of them. He's absolutely pommeled by them and he already knows that even with Chidori's healing spells, he's still going to feel this in the morning.

That really pisses him off.

That's it -- he has to focus his all on Rock Girl. Otherwise, he's bound to really get his ass handed to him!

He yanks one grenade from his belt and then another, then flings them in quick succession in Shizuka's direction. The smoke hasn't yet cleared when Jin gives Fuuka an answer to her question.

"Just a good friend of Shinjiro Aragaki," Jin says smugly. It's probably not the answer Fuuka's looking for. "He decided to ditch us in order to snuggle up to you guys. I wonder how long it'll be before he finds someone else to cozy up with."

Jin rests a hand on one of the unused grenades still on his belt. "Probably once you've outlived your usefulness."

But there's still one last person to address. Ririka. "What can I say? We had some free time tonight."
</poem>

AS: Jin Shirato spends Limit on Favor!
AS: Weapon! Jin Shirato has used the Pierce skill Error 429: Too Many Requests on Shizuka Kuroki! 2 Hits!
AS: Jin Shirato: Atk_Dn and Favor removed!
AS: Block Neutral! Shizuka Kuroki takes 19 Pierce damage from Jin Shirato's Error 429: Too Many Requests. Weak!
AS: Counter Worst! Shizuka Kuroki takes 52 Pierce damage from Jin Shirato's Error 429: Too Many Requests. Weak!
AS: COUNTER! Jin Shirato takes 12 Pierce damage in return for his attack!

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
Reiya wasn't expecting someone on the roof either; score one for Shinjiro's greater battle experience that he thought of it first. ...But Shinjiro knows Niko. Not only knows, but knows well enough to ask her to stop. And so as Castor appears--

"Senpai! Be careful!"

Reiya may apologize later for the sharp look to Suzume. But he doesn't know about 'deserve it' either; he'll listen, if she speaks... but only long enough to try to disable her.

When Niko flinches, Reiya simply says, "I do what is necessary to protect those in my care."

Honor is not a thing for the battlefield.

Ate appears. Purple light strikes--and Reiya grits his teeth, hitting a knee on the ground, the strange energy coursing through him. "That..."

Reiya actually smirks at that one. "Heh. A lie to an enemy is a strategy, not a sin. I simply elected not to mention that we want to end the Dark Hour entirely."

But he pulls his Evoker, too. "Kunimitsu! Come forth!" His eyes briefly go wide as BANG, the Persona appears. A ninja in blue, Kunimitsu lifts his hand--and needles spray forth, not at Niko or her Persona but at Niko's ''shadow'', seeking to pin it in place on the sun-touched ground.

Ailments will follow.

He follows it up with a blast of torrential water in a column.
</poem>

AS: Reiya Aomori spends Limit on Exploit! Reiya Aomori can use another Weak skill this round!
AS: Persona! Reiya Aomori has used the Almighty skill Shadow Stitch on Niko Kirisaki!
AS: Persona! Reiya Aomori has used the Water skill Aqua on Niko Kirisaki!
AS: Ruin: Reiya Aomori gains 1 Limit!
AS: Mind Up! Niko Kirisaki's SP +8!
AS: Take! Niko Kirisaki takes 0 Almighty damage from Reiya Aomori's Shadow Stitch.
AS: Bind, Haze, and Worry added!
AS: Avoid Neutral! Niko Kirisaki takes 103 Water damage from Reiya Aomori's Aqua. Critical Hit!
AS: Paralyze added!

<Pose Tracker> Koh Katsuhiro has posed.
<poem>
Koh notices that Fuuka ''does'' have some good questions for Jin. Which the other boy seems to be answering with grenades. After mentioning what might be Shinjiro's name.

"Who's this guy!? Joker Killer 2!?" He hopes Shizuka or Ririka might know, even if Fuuka doesn't.

Joker Killer Classic, however, is enough to draw Koh's attention back to his and Ririka's immediate problem.

He does try to move, but hot metal leaves a nasty slash. "Don't know you," Koh hisses a panicked reply to the masked man, "Don't want to, back off!"

The evoker fires again and this time his Zagreus's mask shows tragedy. Discordant noise fills the air.
</poem>

AS: Take! Koh Katsuhiro takes 0 Almighty damage from Ririka Kawase's Marakukaja.
AS: Def_Up added!
AS: Persona! Koh Katsuhiro has used the Earth skill Bacchanaiia: Madness on Tatsuya Sudou!
AS: Koh Katsuhiro: Loses 75 HP from Poison!
AS: Take! Tatsuya Sudou takes 55 Earth damage from Koh Katsuhiro's Bacchanaiia: Madness. Critical Hit!
AS: Charm, Rage, and Sick added!

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
<poem>
It's a nerve-wracking moment as Minato leaps for the gun, for Yukari Takeba. Behind her, she can hear the battle between the kitchen bandit and Aigis and Hitomi, and she turns at an angle to keep an eye on them too. "You know him Aigis?" She winces at Hitomi's kick.

Takaya's laugh, the condescension she believes she hears in that comment, "Sorry but- I'm busy tonight, I have to do my nails."

She knows he wasn't flirting or asking her out, but still, she it's easy enough for her to throw out such comments.

Which is when Hypnos stares her straight in the eye, with that sickly smile translating into a visceral reaction.

"Eugh..." She sways with nausea, putting a hand up to her mouth, as she makes a hrk noise, and dry heaves.

Keeping her arm covered tightly over her mouth, she puts the Evoker back to her head, "Pehrsohnah." She says, muffled, as she pulls the trigger with her opposite hand.

Io appears again, and as it does, it lets out a healing breeze that envelops them both.

She's still swaying, but up on her feet. "Got... your back. Keep... pressuring him!" She finally manages to get out to Minato.

She hopes she doesn't throw up in front of him, that'd be embarrassing...

</poem>
AS: Persona! Yukari Takeba has used the Recovery skill Media on Minato Arisato and Yukari Takeba!
AS: Support: Yukari Takeba gains 1 Limit!
AS: Yukari Takeba: Loses 8 SP and TP from Sick!
AS: Yukari Takeba regains 3 SP from Invigorate!
AS: Take! Yukari Takeba takes 130 Recovery healing from Yukari Takeba's Media.
AS: Take! Minato Arisato takes 130 Recovery healing from Yukari Takeba's Media.

<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>Niko refuses Shinjiro, as Suzume takes a protective position. He steadies his irregular breathing as that spell hits him, but it rolls off him as his breathing gets more ragged even so.

"I don't want to fight you, Niko. But I'm not letting you attack my home. I'm not going to let you take this from me...!"

He grimaces, as she talks to Reiya, as it's revealed she's angry about the Dark Hour going away.

"...sorry, but I can't let it continue. Not with how many lives it's ruined." The way he says that... it ruined his too, didn't it?

He charges forward with that hammer, moving to swing at Niko.

And then, suddenly, Castor, still floating nearby, charges too, moving to hammer straight into and trample Niko, a tandem attack between User and Persona!
</poem>

AS: Tandem! Shinjiro Aragaki has used the Strike skill Dual Smash on Niko Kirisaki! 2 Hits!
AS: Pressure: Shinjiro Aragaki gains 1 Limit!
AS: Shinjiro Aragaki regains 15 HP from Regenerate!

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>Suzume actually flinches at 'Zume-chan'. "Ugh," is her verbal response to that. She'd much rather have Suzu-chan over THAT one.

Didn't she already have an argument with Shizuka over that one? YOU BET SHE DID

"What the hell are you talking about?" Suzume looks back at Shinjiro, forward again to Niko as she raises her own Evoker. "What choice?" Suzume's ready for the attack - or thinks she is. There's not actually a lot she can do to block the psychedelic light, swirling and churning around her; she squeezes her eyes shut for a moment as it washes over her, driving her back one step.

But only one.

Straining against the force, Suzume rushes forward after it lets up, barreling across the roof recklessly. Atalanta reappears as she does, floating above her, and Suzume's tonfa have wind build up along them, a churning storm in each hand that she slams, one-two-three, at Niko. Reiya's moving to hold her still, giving Suzume the opening she thinks she can take advantage of!

"...just that? You want us to stop?" Suzume hops backwards after her flurry, bouncing in place as she loosens up, a very active combat stance. "And you're mad that we didn't drop you a letter about our plans? Were you spying on us the whole time? At the game premiere, too?"

...

"I WAS gonna play you at that again, you know!"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Sudou has posed.
<poem>

Sudou shrugs in response to Jin as he stumbles back from the sheath hitting him in the gut, "I mean what can you expect, a whole dossier with pictures, attack preferences and favorite pet peeves to piss people off? Sure we could have asked for that and Shin-chan would have gotten it for us without question, such a pal. However it would have made this boring." Does the Joker Killer even know who Jin is talking about, probably not, but that doesn't mean he can't read the room. "You should invite him over after this for drinks. I will get the good stuff. Last time was great."

His attention is brought back to the fight as he looks at the duo of ..."Wait, are you both supporting cast members?" The paper bag swivels as the crayon drawn eyes squint at Jin, "How the hell did I get two healers to fight me?! I call a redo, Jin go get me the biggest and baddest person!" His yelling is answered by being hit with a rather maddening noise and grits his teeth staring at the duo. The crayon drawn eyes on the paper bag now looking angry.

"I take it back, I the Joker Killer, humbly accept you both as my opponents. Please, heal like your lives depend on it." Above his head the Joker Persona appears as Sudou raises his hand forward, and SNAP. In response, fire erupts from the ground underneath all three of them. Sudou's own wounds heal as he gets himself all fire'd up.

Even file the inferno erupts under Ririka he speaks to answer her question, "I have yet to lay a hand on that dorm. This is just moral support until you came to me. Second, as for who I am here for, well what's your name?"
</poem>

AS: Tandem! Suzume Fukura has used the Wind skill Blastbrand on Niko Kirisaki! 3 Hits!
AS: Tatsuya Sudou spends Limit on Broad!
AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Fire skill Inferno on Ririka Kawase and Koh Katsuhiro!
AS: Charm results in party damage! Tatsuya Sudou takes 90 damage!
AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Recovery skill Burning Spirit on Tatsuya Sudou!
AS: Tatsuya Sudou: Loses 8 SP and TP from Sick! Sick and Broad removed!
AS: Take! Tatsuya Sudou takes 101 Recovery healing from Tatsuya Sudou's Burning Spirit.
AS: Atk_Up added!
AS: Avoid Neutral! Koh Katsuhiro takes 134 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Inferno.
AS: Haze added!
AS: Block Worst! Niko Kirisaki takes 78 Strike damage from Shinjiro Aragaki's Dual Smash.
AS: Counter Best! Niko Kirisaki takes 96 Strike damage from Shinjiro Aragaki's Dual Smash. Critical Hit! Counter Strike!
AS: COUNTER! Shinjiro Aragaki takes 52 Strike damage in return for his attack!

<Pose Tracker> Minato Arisato has posed.
<poem>
Minato isn't trying to beat Takaya down, is the thing:

He's trying to ''get his gun.''

And in this, ultimately, he fails; for all the battering he manages to give him trying to go for the gun, Takaya's still holding it, when he tumbles behind the couch. It speaks to a skill beyond his, though Minato, at least, betrayed a complete heedlessness for his own life in the process.

Hitomi is screaming. Aigis is being depersonalised. Yukari is -- still -- alive.

And the shirtless man is going to kill himself.

Minato picks himself up -- picks his ''Evoker'' up, from where it had been dropped in the scuffle. He watches Takaya, his expression mild.

"You'll die," he informs him.

Except -- he never pulls the trigger.

A man who can summon his Persona without an Evoker...

It's not impossible. The people in masks have no Evoker. (But they need their ''masks.'') The people who are so frequently ''adults'' fighting have no Evoker. (But they need that special card to summon.) And so on, and so on -- every instance of Evokerless summoning can be excluded as he goes down the list.

No: the only time he's seen something like this was with Aigis, and Aigis ''is'' a gun, her Evoker built into her mechanical body.

This man... he's human. Minato felt his flesh, beneath his hands. He lives, and breathes; he is not like Aigis.

He is something ''else,'' something singular unto himself, and Minato watches him, silently, as Hypnos rises behind him.

As Hypnos' arm draws back, and tries to send him into eternal sleep.

Minato brings his Evoker up -- but luckily, he doesn't have to parry a ''Persona'' with that thing which certainly ''isn't'' a gun, because Orpheus takes the lash upon his lyre, instead, with a discordant noise as the harpstrings shatter.

"Orpheus..." Minato trails off, as the Persona shatters shortly thereafter -- not ''dead,'' but momentarily ''dismissed.''

"All right."

He places his Evoker to his head, again. He fires, again. He can endure the strain of those evocations; he must.

He's their leader, after all.

"Naga."

What rises from him, next, ''isn't'' Orpheus -- but a half-snake warrior clasping shield and spear. He lifts his spear, and spears rain down, into Takaya's space.

Without words, he tells him: he's got a special power, too.

</poem>
AS: Block Worst! Niko Kirisaki takes 59 Wind damage from Suzume Fukura's Blastbrand. Critical Hit!
AS: Block Neutral! Niko Kirisaki takes 29 Wind damage from Suzume Fukura's Blastbrand.
AS: Block Worst! Niko Kirisaki takes 42 Wind damage from Suzume Fukura's Blastbrand.

<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
<poem>Fuuka was hoping for a name - but what she gets instead is a metaphorical knife in the ribs, as Jin speaks from beyond the smoke. 'Just a good friend of Shinjiro Aragaki'... A quiet frown crosses her face.

"Don't... talk about him like that." Fuuka insists. "He wouldn't do that."

He wouldn't, would he? He doesn't seem like he would, not after everything...

More grenades are thrown - but only at ''Shizuka''.

"Please take cover, if you need to!" Fuuka calls her way, then looks toward Koh as he asks about Jin.

"I'm sorry, I don't know his name... But, he's with Strega." Fuuka replies. "They're the ones responsible for this attack."

...She hopes everyone else is alright. But, she trusts them - trusts that they'll make it through.

For now, she turns her eyes back onto Jin.

She's analyzed his attack patterns, now, she focuses her attention on his defenses - looking for places where they're the strongest, as she looks for gaps.

"Kuroki-san," Fuuka starts privately, over the Navigator link. "I'm looking for an opening. Be ready to take action."
</poem>

AS: Persona! Fuuka Yamagishi has used the Almighty skill Perception on Jin Shirato!
AS: Insight: Fuuka Yamagishi gains 1 Limit!
AS: Fuuka Yamagishi: Gains 72 HP from Regen!
AS: Fuuka Yamagishi spends Limit on Shift! Shizuka Kuroki can use another Weak skill this round! They both receive 8 SP and 30 HP!
AS: Persona! Minato Arisato has used the Pierce skill Dream Needle on Takaya Sakaki!
AS: Minato Arisato regains 3 SP from Invigorate!
AS: Avoid Worst! Noriaki Okaga takes 150 Pierce damage from Aigis's Dual Thrust. Critical Hit!
AS: Block Best! Noriaki Okaga takes 53 Pierce damage from Aigis's Dual Thrust. Critical Hit!
AS: Block Best! Ririka Kawase takes 59 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Inferno.
AS: Take! Jin Shirato takes 0 Almighty damage from Fuuka Yamagishi's Perception.
AS: Def_Dn added!
AS: Fuuka Yamagishi's Strength Scan! Jin Shirato resists Dark!

<Pose Tracker> Shizuka Kuroki has posed.
<poem>
Galatea brings up a wall of stone in front of Shizuka, attempting to block the blows. It does its job of absorbing most of the impact, and some blown off stones fly back to graze Jin.

"I really don't care who you are, you can't just go around throwing explosive ordinances at people!"

She glances back at Fuuka and privately continues, "Got it, Fuu-chan." She fires off her Evoker, summoning Galatea once more to shower her in a protecting light. Feeling a bit quicker on her feet, she fires off again, delivering another landslide onto Jin.
</poem>

AS: Persona! Shizuka Kuroki has used the Almighty skill Dance of Protection on Shizuka Kuroki!

<Pose Tracker> Noriaki Okaga has posed.
<poem>
With his right hand, Noriaki waves the packaged chicken dismissively. "Food's food, but I've eaten outta better dumpsters than this shit," he says, then tosses it aside. "I feel sorry for you kids! Livin' it up in a fancy place like ''this''" and here he kicks some of the scattered components from deep within the wrecked monitor aside, "but eating like ''shit''!"

It's a perfectly nutritious meal, what the hell is he talking about?

She asks Aigis for aid, and Aigis, of course complies. Toying with the knife in his left hand, Noriaki's grin -- the only thing visible on his face at all under the shadows thrown by his hoodie -- only widens.

"Anyway--"

This, then, is when Hitomi sets him on fire. Flame rolls down the center of the room, over and through his Persona, and then over him as well. For an instant, he's a torch. In this instant, Hitomi kicks much of the remaining chunks of the monitor right back at him and he crashes backwards into the wall. "Arrgh-- fuck!"

It takes him time to stand up, to start to pat the lingering flickers of flame on out. It's this moment that Aigis capitulates upon. She opens fire. Efnysien, wounded, outright fractures into red shards which vanish; Noriaki emits a grunt as his Persona vanishes and a bullet grazes an arm.

"Tch... ain't playin' fair," he growls, hunching over as he pulls himself back up from that one. "But that's okay. That's fine! Now--"

His right hand has seized his Evoker, which he's jammed up against the underside of his jaw. He pulls the trigger with a resounding ''crack''. There's red light. Transcendant -- malevolent -- Efnysien has made a return to the field.

The Persona /howls, its silouette-in-steam raising his head to the sky.

"That's... that's more like it," says Noriaki, rolling his shoulders with an audible crack. "Okay, kiddos! I ain't playin--"

Efnysien whirls his toy horse-turned-flail overhead with an audible scream. It falls like a meteor for Aigis, then rebounds to whip back again at Hitomi--

And it might well hide Noriaki's advance upon the latter with that knife.
</poem>

AS: Avoid Best! Takaya Sakaki takes 58 Pierce damage from Minato Arisato's Dream Needle.
AS: Exhaust added!
AS: Noriaki Okaga spends Limit on Exploit! Noriaki Okaga can use another Weak skill this round!
AS: Take! Shizuka Kuroki takes 0 Almighty damage from Shizuka Kuroki's Dance of Protection.
AS: Def_Up and Spd_Up added! Regen and Spd_Up removed!
AS: Persona! Shizuka Kuroki has used the Earth skill Landslide on Jin Shirato!
AS: Persona! Noriaki Okaga has used the Almighty skill Dance of Fury on Noriaki Okaga!
AS: Take! Noriaki Okaga takes 0 Almighty damage from Noriaki Okaga's Dance of Fury.
AS: Atk_Up and Crt_Up added!
AS: Persona! Noriaki Okaga has used the Strike skill Crazy Chain on Aigis and Hitomi Mandai!
AS: Weapon! Noriaki Okaga has used the Slash skill Butterfly Knife - Surprise Attack on Hitomi Mandai! 3 Hits!
AS: Aggression: Noriaki Okaga gains 1 Limit!
AS: Noriaki Okaga: Haze removed!
AS: Block Worst! Aigis takes 100 Strike damage from Noriaki Okaga's Crazy Chain.
AS: Block Worst! Hitomi Mandai takes 109 Strike damage from Noriaki Okaga's Crazy Chain.
AS: Block Neutral! Hitomi Mandai takes 12 Slash damage from Noriaki Okaga's Butterfly Knife - Surprise Attack. Critical Hit!
AS: Block Best! Hitomi Mandai takes 6 Slash damage from Noriaki Okaga's Butterfly Knife - Surprise Attack. Critical Hit!
AS: Block Neutral! Hitomi Mandai takes 12 Slash damage from Noriaki Okaga's Butterfly Knife - Surprise Attack. Critical Hit!
AS: Avoid Best! Jin Shirato takes 42 Earth damage from Shizuka Kuroki's Landslide. Weak!
AS: Panic added!

<Pose Tracker> Takaya Sakaki has posed.
<poem>"My, my. If I had known you had such important business, I would've rescheduled this." Takaya shakes his head as he points his gun at Yukari again, seeing as that seemed to get into her head. "Vanity is a fools errand. Especially when the end makes all such Prideful acts completely moot."

Hypnos falls limp again hanging from it's blood vessel wings from the ceiling. It almost looked dead despite Takaya still being very much alive. "If my attire is what precludes my adulthood...I must say your naivity is yours...I mean accepting a boy like Shinjiro Aragaki into your ranks." Takaya clicks his tongue and shakes his head mockingly. "He is who told us where to find you. Your capabilities. Your ranks...I'm sure we could've found you eventually but no -he- helped us."

And then Minato's stand off reveals a crutial bit of information. Takaya watches in awe of someone who can change Personas. This act gets the man to lower his gun in sheer awe for a moment. "Oho...Interesting."

Naga's Dream Needle strikes Takaya before he can react, causing the man's legs to almost buckle. He places a hand on his face and just starts laughing. "Wonderful! Tonight has given me a gift after all."

Hypnos stirs from it's slumber and rushes toward Minato and Naga. It moves almost as if it were stuck underwater. Fluid and fast. It showers Minato with every sort of physical attack a corpse on blood strings can manage.

Takaya turns his head toward Yukari again, pulling back the hammer of his gun. "You...you may leave. Go back to your vanity. BE GONE!" Takaya fires on Yukari again, aiming for somewhere painful.
</poem>

AS: Weapon! Takaya Sakaki has used the Pierce skill Cult of Violence on Minato Arisato! 2 Hits!
AS: Takaya Sakaki takes 90 damage from Exhaust!
AS: Aggression: Takaya Sakaki gains 1 Limit!
AS: Weapon! Takaya Sakaki has used the Pierce skill Decisive Shot on Yukari Takeba!
AS: Takaya Sakaki: Exhaust, Haze, Atk_Dn, and Spd_Dn removed!
AS: Block Worst! Minato Arisato takes 28 Pierce damage from Takaya Sakaki's Cult of Violence. Critical Hit!
AS: Panic added!
AS: Block Worst! Minato Arisato takes 19 Pierce damage from Takaya Sakaki's Cult of Violence.
AS: Block Worst! Yukari Takeba takes 39 Pierce damage from Takaya Sakaki's Decisive Shot. Critical Hit!

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka stares at Jin as he clarifies who 'Shin-chan' is. She flinches back, startled for a moment before her brain kicks in and she can try to process that. "... Yeah, right.

"Yeah, right. Like he'd ever run with a bunch of creeps like you," she retorts. She scowls as Jin addresses her. "'Free time'? ''Seriously''?"

Koh asks who this guy is. "There's some weird Sumaru rumor thing. You call him and he'll go kill someone for you... though ''apparently'' he's not limited to Sumaru-- a couple of weeks ago he attacked someone at Shujin Academy."

But Sudou doubles down on 'Shin-chan' having helped them out. "What are you..." She grits her teeth. "Grr... There's ''no'' way he'd do something like that! So just cut it out with whatever stupid game you're playing and tell us why you're really here!"

The Joker Persona appears, and Ririka takes a weary step back. "Katsuhiro-san, watch out for that Persona--" ''Fire'' erupts, and Ririka draws into herself, wrapping her arms around herself as she grits her teeth through the blazing inferno. Amphion's defenses hold, but she sags as the attack disappates, panting.

"You think I'm just gonna tell you my ''name''? Fat chance!" She stands upright again, her jaw set. "Alright. You're tired of fighting healers? Then let's change the tempo. Amphion! Hit him with Fissure!"

In legend, Amphion commands the earth to move with his song, and it is the earth that ruptures beneath Sudou's feet this time, trying to crack open a particular defense... and then Ririka gestures again. "Magna!" The song shifts, and a boulder rips itself out of the earth and flings itself at Sudou.

Meanwhile, Ririka rushes to Koh's side, passing him an item. "Here, take this."
</poem>

AS: Ririka Kawase spends Limit on Exploit! Ririka Kawase can use another Weak skill this round!

<Pose Tracker> Jin Shirato has posed.
<poem>
"You're not wrong," Jin verbally parlays back to Sudou, "but I still wouldn't say 'no' to it anyway." Jin didn't care about playing fair or having fun so much as he did being able to flaunt that he had the upper hand.

Which he does right now with Fuuka.

"Can't believe it? Why don't you ask him about his friends as Strega, then? Well..." A malicious smile pulls itself across Jin's face. "If he survives this battle, anyway."

Before Jin can go on any more, Shizuka's rocks send Jin stumbling again. The grin is replaced with a grimace as he grinds his teeth together in an attempt to distract himself from the pain.

"You're really pissed about having to fight two healers?" he snips back at Tatsuya. "Gimme a break!"

He'd be happy to not get his brain bashed in repeatedly. He'd be happy not to get lectured by a schoolgirl, too. "Don't think you can tell me what I can and can't do!"

Grenades go flying again. Is Jin going to use Moros today? Maybe. But not yet.
</poem>

AS: Persona! Ririka Kawase has used the Almighty skill Fissure on Tatsuya Sudou!
AS: Insight: Ririka Kawase gains 1 Limit!
AS: Persona! Ririka Kawase has used the Earth skill Magna on Tatsuya Sudou!
AS: Ririka Kawase: Gains 74 HP from Regen!
AS: Ririka Kawase spends Limit on Help Up! Poison removed from Koh Katsuhiro! They both receive 8 SP and 30 HP!
AS: Weapon! Jin Shirato has used the Pierce skill Error 404: Not Found on Fuuka Yamagishi!
AS: Weapon! Jin Shirato has used the Pierce skill Error 404: Not Found on Shizuka Kuroki!
AS: Counter Worst! Fuuka Yamagishi takes 79 Pierce damage from Jin Shirato's Error 404: Not Found.
AS: COUNTER! Jin Shirato takes 35 Pierce damage in return for his attack!
AS: Take! Tatsuya Sudou takes 0 Almighty damage from Ririka Kawase's Fissure.
AS: Earth_Break and Def_Dn added!
AS: Block Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 138 Earth damage from Ririka Kawase's Magna.
AS: Block Worst! Shizuka Kuroki takes 108 Pierce damage from Jin Shirato's Error 404: Not Found. Critical Hit! Weak!

<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
<poem>
When Aigis does not immediately ventilate Noriaki in a hail of bullets, Hitomi is momentarily nonplussed. Indeed, Hitomi feels like she's splitting apart, because one side of her is crumpling in dismay. (What had she expected Aigis to do? Use a Bomb to clear the screen of all enemies? Launch funnels? This isn't a video game.)

But it's not as though Aigis isn't helping. Something washes over her. Hitomi thinks -- a bunch of squiggly hot lines -- and something else, a little cooler. No; it's just a different shape of thought. As the cloaking energy washes over her, she lurches to the side, slumping against the counter. She is able to breathe, once.

It helps.

The part of her that's screaming feels like it's receding. What is 'she', anyway? Where is your 'self?' There isn't really one, as she understands it. It just kinda seems that way. Her legs feel terribly heavy. She could just fall down, Hitomi supposes.

Other things begin to trickle in. She could swear she heard someone giggle. (She did hear someone giggle. Hitomi giggled, though it might sound more like an anxious little spurt of noise from someone in terror.)

So much of it isn't known to her. Hitomi had seen Yukari and she can hear gunshots. Even Minato is quiet enough that she only knows Yukari is addressing someone else. So, maybe that's all there is now. Maybe they just got lucky, or from a certain point of view, un-lucky.

That sensation washes over Hitomi again. The faint urge to just slump to the ground. What happens, happens.

-- nah, she thinks. Play it out. See where it goes. She's alive. Heck, she's alive and with a battle robot. Maybe this is what happened originally, Hitomi thinks as she lurches up a little straighter. Maybe the company's going to put it all on her and Aigis (and Minato and Yukari if they manage to avoid getting shot to death).

Maybe--

-- ah, the enemy's moving! "I feel sorry for you too," Hitomi says with a sort of high-strung heat that is probably 90% adrenaline talking. "Because you're on fire," she continues, even as he burns and staggers back and the part of Hitomi that hasn't completely imploded watches him with an intent alertness. This is so much easier, even as he says -

"Oh? But you had a surprise attack," Hitomi answers him in that same tone before he draws up his... Evoker? He has an Evoker, Hitomi thinks, which just goes into the data files for later chewing over as he draws on Efnysien again. The Persona screams. He says he isn't playing and then -- it smashes towards Hitomi and she raises her arms, crossing them.

It would have been a pretty fatal mistake, given what happens next, although Aigis's blessing means Hitomi isn't quite where he might expect. That, and she was already moving as he surged closer. The larger man closes and he's up close and something hurts in her side, something much sharper hurts further up her chest, and she suddenly pulls back her head and contorts towards the counter she'd been leaning against as something runs up along her cheek and --

It stings, and Hitomi doesn't worry about it, although Aigis may be concerned by the blood. (It looks shallow, at least; it doesn't seem to be interfering with her movements.) Hitomi staggers back a step and says, "Waow!" in sheer exclamatory force, followed by her right hand reaching up with a flip. There is a glimmer of a card there, as if she's tossing it up--

Tyche appears again and seems to be making a different gesture. This one has a distinct air, despite being a frieze-like vision, of being something *taken away* -- though the sensation of having an ill star cross into your constellation is pretty subtle, especially mid battle.

"Do you feel like you're losing?" Hitomi asks afterwards, eyes wide and staring at him.

</poem>
AS: Persona! Hitomi Mandai has used the Almighty skill Submission on Noriaki Okaga!

<Pose Tracker> Koh Katsuhiro has posed.
<poem>
Koh throws himself away from the fire, tumbling across the ground before he scrambles hastily to his feet. Fuuka's explanation is good enough. No time to worry about it when they're all in trouble.

But Sudou's not the only one getting mad. "Shut up!" He snaps, a bit too high pitched. "About Shinjiro-senpai!"

The crash of explosives is disorienting, mixed in with flames and shouting. He snatches the medicine she offers with as a grateful of a smile as he can manage. "Kawase-san, we gotta help Fuuka and Kuroki-san. I'll back you up."

She shows the Joker Killer she can attack and, miraculously, Koh can too. "Zagreus!" He snaps, "Go!"

The terrible sounds start again as the Persona flails its heart. Protection for the two navigators, a puff of poison for Sudou. And, as purple smoke billows out, behind it comes a huge chunk of jagged rock.
</poem>

AS: Persona! Koh Katsuhiro has used the Recovery skill Bacchanaiia: Revelry on Koh Katsuhiro and Ririka Kawase!
AS: Support: Koh Katsuhiro gains 1 Limit!
AS: Koh Katsuhiro spends Limit on Exploit! Koh Katsuhiro can use another Weak skill this round!
AS: Take! Koh Katsuhiro takes 0 Recovery healing from Koh Katsuhiro's Bacchanaiia: Revelry. 12 SP regained!
AS: Spd_Up added!
AS: Persona! Koh Katsuhiro has used the Earth skill Magna on Tatsuya Sudou!

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Niko's typically ready to be friendly even at the most unfitting moments, but Reiya... Reiya is pushing all her buttons, putting her in no mood to even pretend to make nice with him. Not right now, after he freaking poisoned her right off the bat.

"Aren't you noble," Niko scoffs with all due sarcasm. "'Protect those in your care', are you serious? Self-important much? If 'those in your care' can't protect themselves, and you really wanted to keep them safe, you should never have let them join your happy little club."

Venting her frustrations with Ate does help somewhat. Between Reiya and Suzume she feels like absolute crap on the inside, but striking back against those responsible does wonders for one's mood. Poor Shinjiro can't get himself to act quite as immediately, though he prepares to. Niko still has a cheerful tone to her voice for him. "That's funny, I don't want things taken from me either. That's the only reason this is happening, you know. If all SEES wanted was what that guy" - Reiya - "claimed, we wouldn't have any problems."

She sure seems to be on friendly terms with Shinjiro, even now. Might that have something to do with the 'choice' that Suzume presses him on?

Talking is done for now though. Shinjiro and his Persona charge, and Niko responds in kind. Boosted by Ate, moving with her, she manages to power through Castor's hit, to strike back against Shinjiro with her bare fist. She, too, has a mean right hook. It may not be a match for the hammer that launches her backwards, but... she feels like she got the point across.

Landing in a crouch, she quickly straightens to face Suzume. Digging in her footing, she braces against the storm of tonfa strikes with Ate's assistance, her Persona's hair making for a poor shield against those strikes, but it's an effort.

...And she keeps smiling. How is she ''smiling'', after all that? It doesn't look as if she's at all concerned, casually responding to Suzume's questions. "That about covers it! Not that time, though. That time I really was there just to play games. We can still do that sometime y'know, hit me up!" And if you doubt that's a serious offer, then you have a lot to learn about Niko.

The only one that seemingly gets her angry is Reiya. She only has to look at him for a frown to appear on her features. Kunimitsu has her going, "Of ''course'' it's a fucking ninja," before it does... something to her. She doesn't even notice what the needles did, only that it's somehow making her feel even worse inside. And too sluggish to fully avoid the water blast, knocking her to the ground. For the briefest of moments, before she rises again, somewhat shakily.

"...Don't be so proud of yourself. I'll show you what happens when you play around with a young girl's heart!" Niko does say the darndest things.

She can, however, back up her words. Her physique isn't just for show. Already she's starting to shrug off the worst of her afflictions, recovering AND increasing in power while remaining in the cocoon of Ate's swirling hair for protection. Lots and lots of hair... plenty left over to also lash out with at everyone around her, striking them with great force while Niko cackles, seeming to be back to having a good time.

"Now then! Riddle me this! When is Good actually Evil?"

She is not actually expecting any answers while she's whipping people around, but she'll give them away regardless.

"There's multiple right answers here. 'When it denies others their freedom.' 'When it prevents something better.' Or... 'When it becomes an excuse.'"
</poem>

AS: Niko Kirisaki spends Limit on Salve! Charm removed from Niko Kirisaki!
AS: Niko Kirisaki spends Limit on Salve! Poison removed from Niko Kirisaki!
AS: Niko Kirisaki spends Limit on Aegis!
AS: Persona! Niko Kirisaki has used the Almighty skill Rebellion on Niko Kirisaki!
AS: Take! Niko Kirisaki takes 0 Almighty damage from Niko Kirisaki's Rebellion.
AS: Crt_Up added!
AS: Persona! Niko Kirisaki has used the Strike skill Crazy Chain on Reiya Aomori, Suzume Fukura, and Shinjiro Aragaki!
AS: Ruin: Niko Kirisaki gains 1 Limit!
AS: Avoid Best! Reiya Aomori takes 22 Strike damage from Niko Kirisaki's Crazy Chain. Critical Hit!
AS: Block Best! Shinjiro Aragaki takes 17 Strike damage from Niko Kirisaki's Crazy Chain.
AS: Avoid Best! Suzume Fukura takes 22 Strike damage from Niko Kirisaki's Crazy Chain. Critical Hit!
AS: Block Neutral! Tatsuya Sudou takes 88 Earth damage from Koh Katsuhiro's Magna.
AS: Take! Ririka Kawase takes 0 Recovery healing from Koh Katsuhiro's Bacchanaiia: Revelry. 12 SP regained!
AS: Crt_Up added!

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
<poem>
"Well it's definitely more important than whatever you're trying to do ''here''!" She counters, as Takaya quips sarcastically at her, before he discounts it as 'vanity'.

So many things she loves might be called the same. Vanity. Looking good, fashion. The way she presents herself to the world.

He points his gun - and Yukari stares it down, afraid again.

But he doesn't fire-

"Aragaki-senpai?" She looks startled at the idea, "There's no way..." She repeats it, biting down on the idea. He's too kind to have just been waiting to ''betray them all along''.

She's sure of it... "There's ''no way''! You're ''lying''!" ... it's not her being fully naive though, despite his accusation. She thinks there's something to do it. But she also thinks it's a half-truth, at best.

She knows he knows Niko, for example.

But there's no way he'd turn on them. She's sure of that.

Then Takaya notices the change of Persona, and the change in his tone- like he's exultant, and suddenly Yukari looks creeped out by it.

The hammer of the gun pulls back, and fires- Io intercepting, as she then shatters from the bullet of the gun, but preventing the bullet from striking her head on.

Staggering, nauseous and sick, she looks at him. Really looks, and she sees... interest.

Interest in him.

She forces herself to stand up straighter, as she reaches into her jacket pocket, "Get away from him you-" And grasping her theurgy cartridge, slides it into the bottom of the gun, "-CREEP!"

Even Takaya, who had dismissed her might feel something, different about her in these few moments as the emotions resonating with the cartridge swell.

Just put it to your head...
Right where it belongs...
AND PULL THE TRIGGER!
AND PULL THE TRIGGER!

Her eyes flash red, changing from their prior brown as Io manifests again, and taking a knee, she begins to draw, nock, and shoot the arrows with her so rapidly that each one seems a fluid instant.

Wind bears them towards him faster, faster- almost at the speed of a bullet. Then wind surrounds her, causing her to rise into the air in one aerial flip. On high she stares at him as if she were channeling the wrath of Hera herself, once sent to torment Io into madness.

As she pulls and nocks an arrow back at full draw.

"I want you out of our home- RIGHT NOW!"

And releases. Theurgy, spiritual magic that can reach the gods, or so Shuji called it. As the arrow lands, it tries to blast Takaya backwards out of the front of the dorm with a column of riotous wind, battering with the force of a Category 5 Hurricane.

</poem>
AS: Yukari Takeba spends Limit on Exploit! Yukari Takeba can use another Weak skill this round!
AS: Tandem! Theurgy! Yukari Takeba has used the Wind skill Cyclone Arrow on Takaya Sakaki!
AS: Yukari Takeba: Loses 8 SP and TP from Sick! Atk_Up and Def_Up removed!
AS: Yukari Takeba regains 3 SP from Invigorate!
AS: Take! Noriaki Okaga takes 0 Almighty damage from Hitomi Mandai's Submission.
AS: Crt_Up removed!

<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
<poem>Jin insists, too. He says to ask him about his friends in Strega - if he survives.

"He will. They all will. No one's going to die today." Fuuka replies. ...Still - for him to bring this up... Maybe she ''should'' talk to him about it. Not now, though - not when it might disrupt anyone during a difficult fight. Grenades are hurled outward once more. The backlash is cruel - but is revisited upon Jin, too. Fuuka winces at the explosions, loud against her ears. She finds herself grateful for the headphones that are part of her uniform - at least she won't leave this with ''too'' much hearing damage. "...No one else has to get hurt, either. Please take everyone and go."

Still, she's starting to feel the fatigue set in, from leaning so much on Lucia. A Navigator can maintain their Persona in battle longer their most, but even they have limits.

"Lucia, ease our minds..." Fuuka murmurs. With a motion of her arms, a cool, soothing wave emanates through the alleyway, settling over herself and Shizuka. It should help rejuvenate the spirit, to allow them to continue forward.
</poem>

AS: Persona! Fuuka Yamagishi has used the Recovery skill Relaxing Wave on Fuuka Yamagishi and Shizuka Kuroki!
AS: Insight: Fuuka Yamagishi gains 1 Limit!
AS: Fuuka Yamagishi: Gains 67 HP from Regen! Def_Up and Spd_Up removed!
AS: Take! Fuuka Yamagishi takes 0 Recovery healing from Fuuka Yamagishi's Relaxing Wave.
AS: Vigor added!
AS: Fuuka Yamagishi spends Limit on Shift! Shizuka Kuroki can use another Weak skill this round! They both receive 8 SP and 30 HP!
AS: Take! Shizuka Kuroki takes 0 Recovery healing from Fuuka Yamagishi's Relaxing Wave.
AS: Vigor added!
AS: Avoid Best! Takaya Sakaki takes 102 Wind damage from Yukari Takeba's Cyclone Arrow.

<Pose Tracker> Minato Arisato has posed.
<poem>
Vanity...

Sanity, Minato thinks. Yukari's trying to keep hold of her ''sanity.''

That's why she's bantering with him that way.

Is that why he's gone silent?

"We don't discuss our recruitment practices with the enemy," Minato informs Takaya, quite bland, as he names and shamed Shinjiro. He wants to sow distrust... but he's the one who murdered the television. He even drove Hitomi to kill (the computer monitor). "We can talk about something else." He did notice the interest. "But not here." Can he convince him to leave?

No. Takaya's... laughing. He was attacked, and he's laughing.

Odd.

Just as strange: Hypnos going from slumbering assault to ''fluid movement.'' Naga raises his shield, but Hypnos's strikes rain in with all the force and power of a ''bullet,'' driving the Persona back until he's able to claw at Minato himself.

It's only luck which sees the attack glancing instead of carving into him; his uniform sleeve lies in tatters, thin streaks of blood along the distal side of his arm.

What he sees, instead, is Hitomi's bloodied cheek. "Aigis-san, help her!" He barks, not quite able to look long enough to see that it's a ''shallow'' cut. There's an edge to his voice which wasn't there, before.

That's not all, though:

Yukari. Io shatters, protecting Yukari.

A gunshot will kill Yukari.

That edge of panic has Minato moving, but he's not ''fast'' enough to shield her before her Persona gets there. "Don't touch her!" Minato snaps, but he's not the only one who's had enough.

Eurydice was never without her own autonomy.

And Minato witnesses Yukari's rage, as ''she'' protects ''him'' -- reverses the cards entirely. "Takeba-san..." He stares, and he is awed... and a little concerned for a different reason, now.

"I'll back you up," he promises, as he steels himself to draw on his own power. Naga's power washes over Yukari, red and blazing, before he turns his spear on Hypnos, spears coming to a bombing point.

</poem>
AS: Minato Arisato spends Limit on Exploit! Minato Arisato can use another Weak skill this round!
AS: Persona! Minato Arisato has used the Pierce skill Seal Bomb on Takaya Sakaki!
AS: Minato Arisato takes 90 damage from Panic!
AS: Persona! Minato Arisato has used the Almighty skill Tarukaja on Yukari Takeba!
AS: Minato Arisato: Atk_Up and Def_Up removed!
AS: Minato Arisato regains 3 SP from Invigorate!
AS: Take! Yukari Takeba takes 0 Almighty damage from Minato Arisato's Tarukaja.
AS: Atk_Up added!

<Pose Tracker> Shizuka Kuroki has posed.
<poem>
Another wall comes up, but not in time. Shizuka is blown away once more, a little bloodied at this point. Fuuka's wave washes over her, letting herself stand back up fully.

"These grenades are starting to piss me off!" She pants, feeling the fatigue even despite Fuuka's buffs. "I'm about to end this!"

She places the Evoker directly on her forehead and pulls, causing Galatea to slam the ground in front of her. Spires of stone emerge from the ground, going in a trail directly towards Jin before a large collection of jagged rocks sprouts up beneath his feet!
</poem>

AS: Avoid Neutral! Takaya Sakaki takes 103 Pierce damage from Minato Arisato's Seal Bomb.
AS: Exhaust added!
AS: Persona! Shizuka Kuroki has used the Earth skill Marble Snare on Jin Shirato! 2 Hits!
AS: Avoid Neutral! Jin Shirato takes 84 Earth damage from Shizuka Kuroki's Marble Snare. Weak!
AS: Bind added!
AS: Persona! Shizuka Kuroki has used the Recovery skill Media on Shizuka Kuroki and Fuuka Yamagishi!
AS: Shizuka Kuroki: Gains 10 SP from Vigor!
AS: Take! Shizuka Kuroki takes 86 Recovery healing from Shizuka Kuroki's Media.
AS: Take! Fuuka Yamagishi takes 86 Recovery healing from Shizuka Kuroki's Media.

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
"Senpai," Reiya says. "How well do you know her?"

Niko-chan, she'd wanted him to call her. He is not so sure that will remain the case, after this, especially after she scoffs at him. "True," Reiya says. "If their safety were my top priority, that would be the action I should take."

But it isn't. "...Their own choices dictate that they want to fight with us, instead."

Reiya is unmoved by the change in her demeanor; he sees things very simply here. But things taken... Hmmm.

But how ''is'' she smiling? That's a fair question to Reiya, too. "The Dark Hour isn't a possession to be allowed to remain."

"I'm not proud," Reiya says. "After all, I wasn't able to stop this before it happened."

But good and evil? Reiya watches Niko protect herself... and strike out at them. Reiya is able to whirl out of the way of most of the blow, hair blades slashing along his back as he whirls. But she will get an answer--just not... immediately.

Reiya falls to a crouch, and looks up. "The harm the Dark Hour does is worth far more than whatever gain Strega receives from playing in it."

"If you're going to try to convince me that ending it is evil..."

"Don't bother. It's pointless."

Kunimitsu reappears with a report of the Evoker, and Reiya directs his Persona forward. This time, he makes a few gestures with his hands and fingers, interlocking movements that speak of an ancient sign language.

"...Ice... Release! Hundred Mist Mirrors!"

The mist rises up all around the roof; Shinjiro and Suzume's resonance will disappear, though Niko's may not. The mist won't impede SEES at all.
</poem>

AS: Persona! Reiya Aomori has used the Almighty skill Hundred Mist Mirrors - Hyoton on Shinjiro Aragaki, Suzume Fukura, and Reiya Aomori!
AS: Take! Reiya Aomori takes 0 Almighty damage from Reiya Aomori's Hundred Mist Mirrors - Hyoton.
AS: Crt_Up, Eclipse, and Spd_Up added!
AS: Take! Shinjiro Aragaki takes 0 Almighty damage from Reiya Aomori's Hundred Mist Mirrors - Hyoton.
AS: Crt_Up, Eclipse, and Spd_Up added!

<Pose Tracker> Takaya Sakaki has posed.
<poem>Takaya watches as Yukari manages to keep herself from getting killed...again. The man just sighs and shakes his head. "First off...I don't lie. I don't need to." Takaya holds up a finger and smiles. "Neither would Shinjiro if you ask him....If he does somehow lie about giving us intel...then I really would be wrong about him. But not in the way you're thinking..."

He again is pulled to look at Minato, wondering how such a power would work. Could He obtain it? Would he be able to get Minato to join them? Curious.

Then Yukari channels the women from that extraterrestrial film, prompting the first annoyed look from Takaya. He rolls his eyes, pointing the gun again. This time he seems to be aiming for her head.

Thats when he notices it. Something different in Yukari as well. Something fierce, like an animal defending it's last stand.

Takaya is about to say something but the wind elemental arrow flies toward and strikes the back in the shoulder. The man flies backward, crashing toward the kitchen and right into the study table. Takaya is silent for a moment before he sits up and gives Yukari a look before replying to Minato's words. "If she would leave, I would be happy to talk with just you...However, I have a reputation to uphold.

Hypnos reforms but this time right behind Yukari. The floating corpse just hover for a moment, emitting a aura of just...horror and creepiness. Suddenly this feeling gets worse and worse as the arms slowly reach for Yukari. The feeling gets worse and worse, pulsating as the arms of Hypnos begin to strike at Yukari. At first they are blunt until the speed picks up and movement begins to cut and slice like they were knives. But the worst part is just that fundamental wrongness of Hypnos.

Takaya points the gun this time at Minato. "You choose what happens next...Shall we end this or will I have to end her. We shall see."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Sudou has posed.
<poem>
Tatsuya Sudou wasn't expecting the shift in rhythm of the battle and losses his magical protection against rocks, his ear worm telling him it was more then that but it is definitely rocks that erupt from the ground trying to force feed themselves to him after. "Fine, next time you get the healers. For now go out there and kick your guest lecturers collective asses. Break out the big bombs, do it for Shinji. The real Shinjiro would want you to go as big as you can."

Turning back the Joker Killer stares at his duo and seems to be getting angrier, before he starts to laugh. "I get it! I get it!" Raising his sword he points it at Ririka, "You should tell me your name for I think I have a new appreciation for healers." He swivels the sword toward Koh, "Also tell me your name, so I know who I should acknowledge as the guinea pig."

The Joker persona appears also giggling before pouring from its hand black fire onto the blade of Sudou. The Joker Killer rushes forward toward Ririka and begins a barrage of sword strikes, sometimes the blade is aflame, sometimes the flame vanishes leaving just the blade. "A healer heals the physical, but they don't forget the pain. Better work up a big heal right...now." As the word is given the supernatural force that Sudou manages moves him into Koh's face instead and the sword's flame erupts as Sudou tears into Koh with the sword as much as he can. Not letting up until the entire flame is gone. "I have decided I like my healers cooked, medium rare."
</poem>

AS: Tatsuya Sudou spends Limit on Exploit! Tatsuya Sudou can use another Weak skill this round!
AS: Takaya Sakaki spends Limit on Exploit! Takaya Sakaki can use another Weak skill this round!
AS: Persona! Theurgy! Takaya Sakaki has used the Dark skill Absolute Slaughter on Yukari Takeba!
AS: Aggression: Takaya Sakaki gains 1 Limit!
AS: Tandem! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Fire skill Dark Fiery Fury on Ririka Kawase and Koh Katsuhiro! 2 Hits!
AS: Charm results in party damage! Tatsuya Sudou takes 90 damage!
AS: Aggression: Tatsuya Sudou gains 1 Limit!
AS: Tandem! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Slash skill Slice & Dice on Ririka Kawase! 2 Hits!
AS: Tandem! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Fire skill Dark Fire Slash on Koh Katsuhiro! 2 Hits!
AS: Tatsuya Sudou: Rage and Spd_Dn removed!
AS: Takaya Sakaki: Exhaust removed!
AS: Block Worst! Koh Katsuhiro takes 99 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury.
AS: Take! Suzume Fukura takes 0 Almighty damage from Reiya Aomori's Hundred Mist Mirrors - Hyoton.
AS: Crt_Up, Eclipse, and Spd_Up added!

<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>Suzume calls out to Shinjiro about his choices, and for a moment, Shinjiro isn't sure which Niko is talking about. He's a ruminater and overthinker, so it instantly goes from the most likely (rejoining SEES) to the worst (his past, his affiliation with Strega, the drugs he takes).

"...I've made mistakes, but..." He trails off, unable to finish whatever defense he had. He's made mistakes. It's a complete statement.

"We're friends," he tells Reiya simply, sighing.

But Niko is saying stuff that makes him suspicious. "What are you talking about? Our only goal is to remove the Dark Hour!"

Isn't it? Niko might notice that doubt.

As she counters his attack, he recoils, struck with a mean hook. He skids himself backwards, hammer at the ready.

"Goddamnit, Niko... what are you *talking about*?"

When is good evil...? He hears the emphasis on 'when it's an excuse'.

"Is this about the Kirijo company?" he asks, eyes darkening. He still doesn't know, but...

He shakes his head. As Reiya empowers him some more with that mist, he nods, and puts his evoker back to his head, hand shaking.

"Castor!"

Castor reappears, rearing its head back as it rages forth, energy washing over Niko to bust her guard. And then...

He's not angry enough. He can't use any of his stronger attacks. But he can still end this.

"Crush."

Castor rears an *ugly* laugh, Shinjiro's frayed emotions the culprit, as it crashes forward, moving to leap into the air through the mist and reappear by landing that hobby horse straight into Niko with so much force that it's better to dodge, not block.

The roof's gonna be ugly after this.
</poem>

AS: Avoid Neutral! Yukari Takeba takes 121 Dark damage from Takaya Sakaki's Absolute Slaughter.
AS: Counter Worst! Koh Katsuhiro takes 166 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury.
AS: COUNTER! Tatsuya Sudou takes 7 Fire damage in return for his attack! Resist!
AS: Avoid Neutral! Koh Katsuhiro takes 100 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fire Slash. Critical Hit!
AS: Koh Katsuhiro is unable to continue fighting!
AS: Avoid Best! Koh Katsuhiro takes 32 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fire Slash.
AS: Koh Katsuhiro is unable to continue fighting!
AS: Shinjiro Aragaki spends Limit on Exploit! Shinjiro Aragaki can use another Weak skill this round!
AS: Persona! Shinjiro Aragaki has used the Almighty skill Guard Buster on Niko Kirisaki!
AS: Pressure: Shinjiro Aragaki gains 1 Limit!
AS: Persona! Shinjiro Aragaki has used the Strike skill Black Spot on Niko Kirisaki!
AS: Shinjiro Aragaki regains 15 HP from Regenerate!

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Aigis pulls her arm back to allow it some time to cool down as smoke trails upwards from her fingers, then she glances back to Yukari as she confirms: "We have met, once. He was there, too," she nods in Minato's direction.

"It was not exactly on pleasant terms." Aigis tilts her head to regard Noriaki. "We intervened in order to prevent an attack on someone else. He persisted then just as he does now. Is this really enough to bear a grudge over? Did that necessitate your ingress into our living quarters?"

Oh, but Aigis is completely -- blissfully, even -- unaware of what else the Kirijo Group had gotten up to. One may be forgiven for believing her to be their loyal lapdog. It's not ''too'' far off the mark.

Aigis' gaze moves from Yukari to Minato. It isn't so much loyalty as it is purpose, following instructions, simply doing as she was programmed to do. The trust she placed in Yukari seems to have been warranted so far. This is ... within acceptable parameters. Still, monitoring both battles occurring within the common area takes up precious attention, and as she tries to watch for the safety of Hitomi, Minato, ''and'' Yukari --

-- it's in those moments where she strains her perception that Efnysien's flail whips around to strike her with enough force to sweep her off of her feet. She slams hard into the base of Palladion's form, causing the sound of metal striking metal to ring out. She has to take a moment to stagger back upright.

Minato instructs Aigis to protect Hitomi -- which she has already been doing to the best of her ability, at least when it comes to her and Palladion's ability to shield someone. Still, Aigis replies, "Understood."

All that's left is to very firmly 'persuade' Noriaki to leave. Once more, she raises her arm in tandem with Palladion's drill-bit of a cannon in Efnysien's direction.

What comes next may be a familiar sight to Noriaki: Palladion emits a series of laser points, highlighting weak spots on Efnysien's form. Its gears begin to spin, electricity begins to arc, and it seems another volley is forthcoming ...

Calmly, with no malice in her voice, she asks Noriaki, "Please exit the premises. I will not engage in pursuit."

Aigis had been keeping tabs on the events in the room. There's another threat on the other side of Palladion from her, the man with a real non-Evoker gun, the one who can summon his Persona without an Evoker. Just before Palladion unleashes a series of shots into Efnysien, Aigis whirls around its base and extends her arm in ''Hypnos''' direction. Back-to-back, she and Palladion take aim at their adversaries on either side of the common area. "You're not ending anyone!" she informs Takaya as she makes her surprise attack.

Minato hadn't specified which 'her' he had meant when he urged Aigis to 'help her': Hitomi or Yukari. In the face of ambiguity ... she decides he had meant 'both'.

Palladion fires a shot at Efnysien, and Aigis shoots a series of smaller rounds at Hypnos, hoping to dissuade it from its approach towards Yukari.

</poem>
AS: Aigis spends Limit on Exploit! Aigis can use another Weak skill this round!
AS: Persona! Aigis has used the Almighty skill Pierce Break on Noriaki Okaga!
AS: Pressure: Aigis gains 1 Limit!
AS: Tandem! Aigis has used the Pierce skill Double Down on Takaya Sakaki and Noriaki Okaga! 2 Hits!
AS: Aigis regains 3 SP from Invigorate!
AS: Avoid Worst! Takaya Sakaki takes 116 Pierce damage from Aigis's Double Down.

<Pose Tracker> Jin Shirato has posed.
<poem>
"Sorry, but that ain't an option until we're done doin' what we gotta do." Jin's about to open his mouth to smugly prattle on some more when he's struck again by another Earth attack -- this time from below.

Jin is caught completely off-guard; he practically has to drag himself off his feet to get upright again.

"Can you stop doing that already?!" He's clearly not the only one tired of battling. "I'll even stop using my grenades this time."

Jin keeps his promise. Instead of reaching for a grenade, Jin reaches for his evoker. "Moros!"
</poem>

AS: Avoid Worst! Takaya Sakaki takes 165 Pierce damage from Aigis's Double Down. Critical Hit!
AS: Avoid Best! Jin Shirato takes 64 Earth damage from Shizuka Kuroki's Marble Snare. Weak!
AS: Persona! Jin Shirato has used the Dark skill Mudo on Shizuka Kuroki!
AS: Jin Shirato takes 90 damage from Panic!
AS: Jin Shirato spends Limit on Salve! Panic removed from Jin Shirato!
AS: Block Worst! Ririka Kawase takes 89 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury.
AS: Block Best! Ririka Kawase takes 30 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury.
AS: Block Best! Ririka Kawase takes 24 Slash damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Slice & Dice. Critical Hit!
AS: Block Best! Ririka Kawase takes 16 Slash damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Slice & Dice.
AS: Avoid Neutral! Shizuka Kuroki takes 102 Dark damage from Jin Shirato's Mudo. Critical Hit!
AS: Take! Niko Kirisaki takes 0 Almighty damage from Shinjiro Aragaki's Guard Buster.
AS: Strike_Break added!
AS: Avoid Neutral! Niko Kirisaki takes 146 Strike damage from Shinjiro Aragaki's Black Spot. Critical Hit!
AS: Take! Noriaki Okaga takes 0 Almighty damage from Aigis's Pierce Break.
AS: Pierce_Break added!
AS: Block Worst! Noriaki Okaga takes 106 Pierce damage from Aigis's Double Down.
AS: Block Neutral! Noriaki Okaga takes 76 Pierce damage from Aigis's Double Down.
AS: Suzume Fukura spends Limit on Exploit! Suzume Fukura can use another Weak skill this round!

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>"..."

Suzume has no idea what to make of that offer from Niko. She discards it for later. (If she even remembers after this fight. She might not - until the next time she runs into Niko, of course.)

But there's also Shinjiro.

'I've made mistakes, but...'
'We're friends.'

Something about the way Shinjiro says it makes Suzume uncomfortable for reasons she can't clearly identify right now. Her scowl returns, deepening, but she doesn't say anything to Shinjiro about it; no questions, at least not right now. Not while they're fighting, or maybe in front of Niko, because regardless they're a team and they're working together.

Ate's hair lashes at Suzume, and Suzume - already having opened herself up with the reckless strike - follows through by tumbling forward. She wouldn't be willing to do this closer to the edge of the roof, even with the half-height ledge around the edge of it, but she rolls, springing to her feet in an athletic if not entirely gymnastic kip-up. (Suzume is not great at gymnastics, but she's fallen enough that she knows how to hop up without slowing down.)

She rises up, Reiya's mist swirling around her in an unnatural way as Suzume's wind catches at it, spinning it around her. "What, are you gonna tell us that we're stopping something better? You don't even know what we're doing. And I'm not interested in hearing someone who started off by bombing our home tell us we're evil!" She heard the explosion.

Suzume's voice catches. "Atalanta! Hold her!" she calls, another blast of breaking glass from her Evoker, and a churning sphere of wind erupts around Niko - not a tornado like many people's wind spells but a sphere, churning wildly and drawing up debris (and mist) towards her.

It also might hold her still for just a moment. Niko's physique isn't just for show but Suzume is, under her loose-fit gym clothes, not exactly unathletic either. She comes in hard and fast, wind churning around her as she rockets forward, both tonfa driving directly at Niko's exposed stomach.

On impact, there's an *eruption* of wind as Suzume whirls, pivoting on her heel and delivering a fast, powerful series of blows with all the force her body can manage, accompanied by a wordless shout. More than she would have been able to, months ago.

Those workouts really did help.
</poem>

AS: Persona! Suzume Fukura has used the Wind skill Vortex Garu on Niko Kirisaki!
AS: Pressure: Suzume Fukura gains 1 Limit!
AS: Tandem! Suzume Fukura has used the Wind skill Race the Wind on Niko Kirisaki! 3 Hits!

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
<poem>
Takaya insists he doesn't lie. That might be so, but as before, she doubts he's telling the whole truth.

Eurydice.

It's an apt idea for her. She who is bound by death. Perhaps one day she will see the sun again.

Minato's call causes her to rapidly shoots an alarmed look towards Hitomi on her descent, set down by Io, even as Minato empowers her. Her eyes crimson still resonant and flush with power.

Before even that fades back to their normal amber brown. Nausea overtaking her, staggering, a hand upon her head.

She inhales once, twice, thrice. "Talk. You want to talk... NOW!?" She says, angrily, right as Hypnos reforms, and there's that sensation behind her.

The goose pimples on the back of her neck. The feeling like the murderer is already in the room.

On instinct, she dives forward. Perhaps it's all that saves her, as Hypnos cuts the first time, and Io's winds crash against the blow in blunt deflection away from her body.

Again and again Hypnos smashes and slices, and a horn off Io is cut away, then the girl is sliced in twain- Io that is.

As she suffers another Persona break, and holds her head. She doesn't have the same endurance as Minato when it comes to this. The sharp, searing pain, the throb behind her eyes.

Like shards of glass fracturing in her brain.

"... Stop..." She whispers at first, Palladion's shot covering them before she recovers enough to put the Evoker to her head, "Stop... acting like I'm some... damsel... that needs... SAVING!"

And as she pulls the trigger, Io appears again, the winds rise, as if readying for something, as they swell around the room in a great circle, preparing... for something.

"Ready... Minato-kun?"

It's the first time she's used his first name, since they met. Perhaps if Takaya gets his way, it'll be their last.

When I'm with you and the others, I don't get bored... so, I don't think it's all bad.

But whatever happens they will defend their home.

Sometimes, it's even fun, don't you think?

</poem>

AS: Yukari Takeba has initiated a fusion spell! The spell still requires 1 Strong attacks and Any Physical! Anyone can join!

<Pose Tracker> Koh Katsuhiro has posed.
<poem>
The Joker killer moves fast. The appearance of Sudou's persona sends an electric shock of fear through Koh, and he has little time to continue his attack before the black and burning fire is on him.

His teeth rattle as he brings his own weapon, a large knife, up in attempt to ward off the attacks. "Bastard-" Koh's response to Sudou's question is probably ''not'' his name.

It'd be more obvious to the seasoned killers that Koh's on the back foot. Panicked, ducking, flailing to ward off the burning metal. He's used to fighting mindless Shadows, not peopleor whatever the Joker Killer is. Sudou inspires a mortal terror not like any but maybe the major arcana.

And Koh doesn't want to die.

But he doesn't want Ririka, Shizuka, Fuuka, or anyone inside to either. So he makes a mistake: he tries to strike back instead of get away. A sloppy strike that leaves him open to a decisive and burning slash.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Koh says that they need to back up Shizuka and Fuuka--and that he'll back ''her'' up. "I think we're all backing each other up at this point," she points out, but she's not disagreeing.

Sudou claims to have a new appreciation for healers. "Yeah, ''right''. Don't do it," she says to Koh. "Who knows what he can do with that?"

But that sword is looking awfully on-fire, and Ririka scrambles to get to her own katana, diving for it and all but throwing away the sheath this time as she tries to bring the blade up. The first one hits her, scoring a line of blue flame across her body as she staggers back. "Gah--!"

But she grits her teeth and forces the blade back up to try and deflect the worst of the next hit, and the ones after that, taking more glancing blows. But the Joker Killer switches targets, suddenly, and Ririka can only watch. "Look out!"

Her grip tightens on her katana, knuckles turning white as she tries to keep her focus. She's starting to get exhausted, and she's rally not meant for this sort of front line fighting. But still... it doesn't mean she has ''no'' tricks.

"Amphion!" she declares, lifting her katana up to the sky. "Let's send these guys packing! "Magnara!" She slams the katana down like a conductor directiong an orchestra, and as Amphion plays a bigger chunk of earth levitates up and then slams down right for Sudou's head.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Minato Arisato has posed.
<poem>
Minato doesn't think Takaya must be lying, unlike Yukari.

It's not that he thinks he's telling the truth, either.

He just

can't evaluate anything

when he's waving that gun around.

"You need to leave," Minato repeats, firmly, when Takaya insists he has a ''reputation.'' But --

But Hypnos lays into Yukari, again, again, again. He can feel how wrong that is, too. (No wonder the Joker Killer is helping him, he thinks.)

The panic gripping him tells him: she's going to die. She's going to die! Io's shattered, and she's suffering, and Hypnos won't stop coming, and -- and the corpses are twisted in the car-seats, and the shattered glass drips blood --

And --

And Minato is their Leader. Hitomi is bleeding; Aigis is pushing herself as hard as she can, even targeting ''Takaya'' in the process. Elsewhere, the Navigators are holding the line; elsewhere, they're preventing them from infiltrating from the rooftop. Everyone is giving their all.

That includes Yukari. Yukari -- who isn't unable to handle her Evoker, any more. Yukari, whose rage blew this man right into the kitchen...

"Yukari-san," he says, his voice level. "Let's see him out."

Minato doesn't want her to die, but Yukari doesn't want him to die, either.

And they don't want anyone in SEES to suffer this attack any longer.

The wind which Yukari and Io pick up swirls around Minato and Naga, as Naga levels his spear at Hypnos. Minato, less his sword, grabs the closest weapon at hand -- the ''LAMP'' -- and as Naga leaps forward, his spear roaring with a hurricane's fury as it seeks Hypnos's heart, ''Minato'' springs forward to slam the lamp-post -- itself empowered by cyclonic force -- into ''Takaya.''

</poem>
AS: Ririka Kawase spends Limit on Psych!
AS: Persona! Ririka Kawase has used the Earth skill Magnara on Tatsuya Sudou!
AS: Ririka Kawase: Gains 69 HP from Regen! Psych and Regen removed!

<Pose Tracker> Noriaki Okaga has posed.
<poem>
"Yeah, you got in the way of some personal business, 'bot," he tells Aigis, jabbing the knife in her general direction as if to make a point. "You, and that brat." He jerks his head towards Minato, over in the other room.

But is this really sufficient reason to come in here like this? "Eh, I got my own reasons for breakin down ''your'' door," he says, shrugging, arms wide. "We all do. But this ain't about that. You and the rest of these kiddos here're gettin' in our way. The Dark Hour?" He indicates towards himself, with the flat of his knife. "That's ours. If you're messin' around in there, doin' who knows what, then you're messin' with us." That smile of his thins. "Got it? ...Eh, guess it depends on how ''much'' you're gettin', with your whole," and he shrugs, and gestures again at Aigis in a very vague fashion with his knife, as if to suggest she's not much more than the sum of her parts.

Hitomi, though is coming around. She feels sorry for him.
Because he's on fire.

"You little-- cut it out with that cute fake-pity shit!" he snaps at her, his earlier amusement fading a decided degree from his earlier aggressive stance. "And you--" he shoots at Aigis, that reminder of recent failures an apparent sore spot. "Kirijo's wind-up toy! I've had enough of you--"

Minato asks that Aigis protect Hitomi. "Hey, hey, mind your own business, kiddo!" he snaps at Minato, engaged in a different fight.

But he had a surprise attack.

"What're you-- forget it!" he says, shaking his head the once as he proceeds.

It's just like the last time. Laser lights glide across Noriaki's Persona and he can feel something in him -- in his Persona -- weakening. He hisses out something unprintable in response.

"Run? Make me. I ain't runnin' 'till I'm done here!" he emphasizes, gesturing broadly at the room and all around himself. "Now, come on--"

The barrage comes, just as expected, each bullet cracking against Efynsien with a resounding scream of bullet-on-metal. The Persona doesn't break again, though--

--though Hitomi has a few words for him. 'Does he feel like he's losing'?

Technically speaking, if you talk about certain things as points on a board with a certain 'distance' to cover as a winning condition, he's already lost. It's just a matter of when the lights finally go out for the last time.

But more immediately, right here and now, Noriaki's certainly feeling ''something'', a certain sense that some of his momentum has just up and vanished, snuffed out like a candle's flame.

It--

"Lose?! The fuck are you talkin' about, kiddo!? I don't-- ''lose''!"

--makes him angry.

He snarls at Hitomi, lunges for her, knife at the ready.

As Efnysien, rearing back, hurtles that broken toy horse at Aigis, at her Persona, like it were a cannonball.
</poem>

AS: Noriaki Okaga spends Limit on Blood!
AS: Noriaki Okaga spends Limit on Psych!
AS: Block Worst! Niko Kirisaki takes 135 Wind damage from Suzume Fukura's Vortex Garu. Critical Hit!
AS: Block Best! Niko Kirisaki takes 24 Wind damage from Suzume Fukura's Race the Wind. Critical Hit!
AS: Block Neutral! Niko Kirisaki takes 47 Wind damage from Suzume Fukura's Race the Wind. Critical Hit!
AS: Block Worst! Niko Kirisaki takes 63 Wind damage from Suzume Fukura's Race the Wind.
AS: Persona! Noriaki Okaga has used the Strike skill Black Spot on Aigis!
AS: Weapon! Noriaki Okaga has used the Slash skill Malice Aforethought on Hitomi Mandai! 3 Hits!
AS: Aggression: Noriaki Okaga gains 1 Limit!
AS: Noriaki Okaga: Psych removed!
AS: Block Worst! Aigis takes 278 Strike damage from Noriaki Okaga's Black Spot. Critical Hit!
AS: Block Best! Hitomi Mandai takes 31 Slash damage from Noriaki Okaga's Malice Aforethought.
AS: Block Neutral! Hitomi Mandai takes 47 Slash damage from Noriaki Okaga's Malice Aforethought.
AS: Block Best! Hitomi Mandai takes 31 Slash damage from Noriaki Okaga's Malice Aforethought.
AS: Minato Arisato has joined Yukari Takeba's fusion spell! The spell is ready!
AS: Persona! Minato Arisato and Yukari Takeba has used the Wind skill Forceful Fury on Takaya Sakaki! 2 Hits!
AS: Yukari Takeba: Loses 8 SP and TP from Sick!
AS: Yukari Takeba regains 3 SP from Invigorate!
AS: Minato Arisato regains 3 SP from Invigorate!
AS: Counter Worst! Takaya Sakaki takes 158 Wind damage from Yukari Takeba's Forceful Fury.
AS: COUNTER! Yukari Takeba takes 33 Wind damage in return for her attack! Resist!
AS: Takaya Sakaki is unable to continue fighting!
AS: Take! Takaya Sakaki takes 178 Wind damage from Yukari Takeba's Forceful Fury.
AS: Takaya Sakaki is unable to continue fighting!
AS: Avoid Neutral! Tatsuya Sudou takes 141 Earth damage from Ririka Kawase's Magnara.
AS: Bind added!

<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
<poem>That isn't an option... Fuuka frowns.

"...I see. I wish it didn't have to be this way. I never wanted this..." Fuuka replies, shaking her head at Jin. "Why are you so determined to do this? Why do we have to fight like this?"

They aren't going to leave until their job is done - and Fuuka's breath is sucked out of her lungs as she sees Koh go down. She inhales sharply.

There's... no holding back. They have to stop this now, or he might...

Fuuka readies her Evoker, loading the Theurgy cartridge into it. Offense may not be her specialty - but she can at least give Shizuka all the advantage she can. She shuts her eyes, pressing the Evoker against her head.

"I'll support you... Please finish this, Kuroki-san." Fuuka requests - and then she fires. Her eyes shine a brilliant blue, and information begins to flood into her mind - predictions and analysis...

...And then in a bright, shining wave, this information is directed outward, channeled to Shizuka to allow her to make the best possible move.
</poem>

AS: Persona! Fuuka Yamagishi has used the Almighty skill Oracle - Guiding Insight on Shizuka Kuroki!
AS: Insight: Fuuka Yamagishi gains 1 Limit!
AS: Fuuka Yamagishi: Gains 72 HP from Regen! Gains 10 SP from Vigor! Regen removed!
AS: Take! Shizuka Kuroki takes 0 Almighty damage from Fuuka Yamagishi's Oracle - Guiding Insight.
AS: Atk_Up and Crt_Up added!
AS: Fuuka Yamagishi spends Limit on Shift! Shizuka Kuroki can use another Weak skill this round! They both receive 8 SP and 30 HP!
AS: Hitomi Mandai spends Limit on Psych!
AS: Hitomi Mandai spends Limit on Exploit! Hitomi Mandai can use another Weak skill this round!

<Pose Tracker> Takaya Sakaki has posed.
<poem>Takaya blinks when his attack doesn't finish off the girl. He hears her remark and sighs. "If you are really concerned with your own vanity, you are worse than someone who needs to be saved." He says this pointedly, even as everything hurts.

Takaya's breathing begins ragged as he forces himself to stand. Everything hurt but he was so close to accepting death's sweet embrace...Despite the pain, Takaya was actually thrilled to be in this state. Hence the smile on his face.

They seem to be up to something.

Still all Takaya does is stare, amused by all of this. As the Fusion attack manifests and a magical wind begins to manifest. "Oh ho..." Takaya smiles opening his arms. "Very well then. TAKE ME AWAY FROM THIS PLACE! IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE THE STRENGTH, -TAKE- MY LIFE AND ALL THE WEIGHT THAT COMES FROM IT! PROVE YOUR SO CALLED ADULTHOOD!" Takaya begins to laugh insanely as the spell begins to envelope everything. The spear strikes Hypnos and pierces the body just as Takaya's laughing gets even more absurd. "YOU'RE GONNA CARRY THIS WEIGHT FOREVER!"

The spell causes Takaya to be thrown from the front door and into the day, still laughing.

Then it just stops.

Takaya clicks his tongue when he realizes the soldiers of SEES didn't kill him. He stares up before getting to his feet, feeling the ache from the battle still linger. That was something... "You should've finished the job..."

The wind blows one more time and Takaya disappears into Chidori's illusions. Takaya's voice breaks the silence on more time. "But we shall meet again, leader of SEES."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shizuka Kuroki has posed.
<poem>
Shizuka jumps out of the way of the dark attack, though the aura still seems to suck the life out of her. She wheezes, beginning to taste blood on her tongue as her mental exhaustion begins to catch up with her.

The power of Oracle keeps the darkness back, filling the tired spots of her mind with information and encouragement. Jin's own exasperation is definitely helping as well. She stands up straight and gives a bit of a chuckle.

"Hey, whatever your name is. Got a joke for ya. What's the difference between you and Bob Dylan?"

She puts her Evoker to her head once more.

"YOU'RE not gonna like THIS rolling stone one bit!"

She fires twice. Another snare comes up under Jin's feet, holding him down for a landslide from above!
</poem>

AS: Persona! Shizuka Kuroki has used the Earth skill Marble Snare on Jin Shirato! 2 Hits!

<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
<poem>
Hitomi hears Minato's voice.

That capering goblin-voice she has struggled with is waxing, if only because most of Hitomi's qualities are not suited for this moment; or at least not yet. Yet that sense feels it too - If Minato's there, if he's alive enough to look at her and Aigis, hope remains.

(Does she think so poorly of Yukari? Not at all. But there's a certain something about Minato that Hitomi can't deny, even if her attention rests elsewhere.)

Even so, her enemy is before her, not behind her. When Aigis falls over, Hitomi yields another step, whirling a bit to gaze at her and cry out, "Aigis!" Her voice is oddly high but it's concerned too. "Oh thank goodness," she says more sotto-voce as Aigis recovers -- and gathers up Palladion.

Hitomi's eyes lift upwards, at Palladion, then back to Noriaki. Her lips remain neutral. Her eyes are intent. What's he gonna do?

"Mmmm, so you do," Hitomi says, and it's relatively good that she was watching him instead of simpering to rub it in or trying to focus on other people, because he *still* has that knife, which is already stained with Hitomi's blood. She got lucky before.

And in a sense Hitomi is lucky again because she can see something near her, on the counter, she can use. A cutting board. Hitomi reaches out for it and thanks to that residual impression of distorted space, what had probably seemed darn like her shoulder is instead her upper bicep. It cuts a red line in the skin and the flesh, a hot line as Hitomi grabs the cutting board and brings it up like a clumsy shield.

Tok! The second blow hits the cutting board. Perfect defense? No: the blow pushes her back and she can feel all those little hot lines in her body sort of -- ripple, feel like they're... blooming. Then his third one hits her left middle fingertip and her eyes widen.

If Noriaki had been disliking that weird, mocking look in Hitomi's eyes, however deranged or adrenaline-induced, he would have the reward of seeing it disappear from her eyes as they widen in sheer pain. This one isn't something her mind can simply go 'yeah yeah that's a scrape' and move onwards from. The pain runs up her left hand and it spasms and loosens and she staggers back --

Except the cutting board is wood, and it holds on to the tip of Noriaki's knife. Illegal or not, it's a piece of metal, and he's going to have to pull it loose.

The cutting board swings down along with a kilogram of weight stuck to the tip as Hitomi takes another step back, her back hitting one of the kitchen's walls as she spreads out her hands. Her eyes gleam.

"Haha... it's impossible to own time... don't be silly. Anyway," her blood-splattered hand snaps up through a glittering blue card that blooms in front of her. "Tyche, with feeling!"

The statue appears for the third time this afternoon. This time the head is tilted up imperiously. The goddess-statue seems to be reaching forward with her left hand. There is a red light in Hitomi's eyes for a moment.

"So long," she says, even as a single bursting flame smashes in front of Noriaki, as if to maintain the distance between them --

A second -- more centered upon him, though it is, at least, not nearly as infernal a heat as that first burst which had set him aflame.

The fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh bursting flames feel, and sound, quite a lot like fireworks which have been set off from less than a yard away pointed directly at him -- seeming to scream and burst in golden and red sparks. Hitomi is probably concealed from this for a few moments entirely, and a haze of perfumed smoke seems to hang afterwards.

</poem>
AS: Persona! Hitomi Mandai has used the Fire skill Double Agi on Noriaki Okaga! 2 Hits!
AS: Persona! Hitomi Mandai has used the Fire skill Explosion of Fortune on Noriaki Okaga! 3 Hits!
AS: Aggression: Hitomi Mandai gains 1 Limit!
AS: Hitomi Mandai: Atk_Up, Def_Up, and Psych removed!

<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Sudou has posed.
<poem>
So there are rocks, and then there is the big rock that Amphion throws and Sudou tries to tuck and roll out of the way. This ends up only putting him on the ground preemptively before the rock puts him there. For a moment Sudou justs lay there before he sighs heavily and stands up. He looks at Ririka and keeps his eye on her as he moves towards Koh.

"Healers need to be healing. " Sudou states as he kicks Koh towards Ririka. "I didn't kill him, if you try hard enough you might be able to even heal him. That is as long as I am here." Sudou gestures to those around him, "I am only here until I am told otherwise. I'd heal fast, he may not make it till the dark hour." Sudou simply stands there, sword in hand waiting.

Waiting...

Waiting...

Suddenly Sudou looks up, "Oh yeah?" Looking at Ririka Sudou's grin is heard in his voice, "Time's up healer. Hope your friend survives, so I can do this again and again in front of you." Sudou stabs his sword into the ground and sinks into it as if it was fluid.

The same effect happens across the battlefield, under Niko and Jin, dragging both of them into whatever liminal space it is that Sudou likes to use to move around.
</poem>

AS: Tandem! Shizuka Kuroki has used the Slash skill Dual Slice on Jin Shirato! 2 Hits!
AS: Shizuka Kuroki: Gains 10 SP from Vigor!
AS: Avoid Worst! Jin Shirato takes 148 Earth damage from Shizuka Kuroki's Marble Snare. Weak!
AS: Bind added! Def_Dn removed!
AS: Avoid Neutral! Jin Shirato takes 115 Earth damage from Shizuka Kuroki's Marble Snare. Weak!
AS: Avoid Best! Jin Shirato takes 22 Slash damage from Shizuka Kuroki's Dual Slice.
AS: Block Neutral! Noriaki Okaga takes 68 Fire damage from Hitomi Mandai's Double Agi.
AS: Noriaki Okaga endures with 1 HP!
AS: Avoid Neutral! Jin Shirato takes 62 Slash damage from Shizuka Kuroki's Dual Slice. Critical Hit!
AS: Block Neutral! Noriaki Okaga takes 134 Fire damage from Hitomi Mandai's Double Agi. Critical Hit!
AS: Noriaki Okaga endures with 1 HP!
AS: Block Worst! Noriaki Okaga takes 101 Fire damage from Hitomi Mandai's Explosion of Fortune.
AS: Noriaki Okaga endures with 1 HP!
AS: Block Worst! Noriaki Okaga takes 170 Fire damage from Hitomi Mandai's Explosion of Fortune. Critical Hit!
AS: Noriaki Okaga endures with 1 HP!
AS: Block Worst! Noriaki Okaga takes 170 Fire damage from Hitomi Mandai's Explosion of Fortune. Critical Hit!
AS: Noriaki Okaga endures with 1 HP!

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Reiya you could win so many points back by just calling her Niko-chan right now, you have no idea.

Although honestly, Niko is already in a much better mood than she was before. Reiya not doubling down on how he came across helps with that, but that's how it tends to go with her in general. Those swings are ''fierce'', but tend to go more readily in the positive direction. It would be nicer, wouldn't it, if they could all be friends? If only they'd be willing to listen to reason... but, she's not kidding herself, about being able to change SEES's entire objective. So, she'll just have to settle for making it more difficult.

"The Dark Hour also isn't something for you to take away. Like it or not, it's a part of this world. Only gods can change the world." If he did try to stop it from happening and failed... that proves her point nicely, in her eyes. Of course he couldn't stop it. He's not a god.

She applauds Suzume and Shinjiro, literally, for addressing points she's been trying to make. "Way to go, Shin-chan, Zume-chan! You ''are'' stopping something better, and of course you shouldn't trust anything the Kirijo company tells you!" Of course none of them can understand stopping the Dark Hour is evil. That's fair, even in Niko's warped perception. It's not easy to accept to truth. But there is another angle she can take with this.

"So. If you don't like those answers to my riddle, then how about... 'When it's ''too'' good'? Don't know about you, but if it were me... I'd be suspicious of solutions to problems that sound a little too conveniently perfect. I told you, it's a part of this world. Do you really think you'll fix the world by ripping something out of it?"

Of course, she's trying to sow doubt. But she also isn't saying anything she doesn't genuinely believe. Beliefs that she hopes she's made clear here today. SEES is making a mistake. For the world to really heal, they need to stop fighting it.

It's fine if they keep fighting ''her'' though. Niko does frown a bit at the mist summoned by Reiya. "Cheap tricks," she mumbles under her breath. She much prefers a straight up fight. Now she can barely see Suzume's approach. She already was planning on standing her ground, but now she is forced to by Atalanta's winds, leaving her with little choice but blocking the tonfa with crossed arms. Suzume is clearly a gamer, realizing that chip damage is a thing, eventually breaking through her and her Persona's guard.

"Not bad," is all she gets out, before Shinjiro has his turn, the energy wave blowing apart Ate's hair. Though it regrows almost immediately, it is now no longer protecting Niko, but she realizes well enough that it's better to get out of the way of Castor this time, clipped by the charge as she dives around, which is enough to already hurt like heck.

Niko is slower to get up, this time, visibly out of steam. She looks behind her... to the edge of the roof. No way out on that side. She won't be able to make the jump the other way, even if she had the energy to try. She'd need to get past SEES to get to the only viable exit. Maybe she should have thought of a better escape plan.

Even so... even so, she laughs. And gets out... a Theurgy cartridge? "Hehehe... looks like I'm in trouble. So, I'm gonna use it, Jin-chan." Without any sort of further fanfare, she rapidly loads the cartridge into her Evoker, places it to the side of her head, and...!

...Something Unseen grabs her from below. Niko's eyes go wide, whining, "No wait, I was just about to do something really cool!" And then she just sinks straight through the roof. No one will find her inside the building though. She's just... gone.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Jin Shirato has posed.
<poem>
Once again, Jin is interrupted before he can snap back with anything more. First, he's held to the ground by an Earth attack, and then rocks fall --

-- and Jin nearly dies.

"D-Dammit! DAMMIT!!" Jin's barely on his feet now, and he's furious. Furious that he's barely standing and furious that he let himself get to this point. He should throw all of his grenades at her right now! Let her feel the full force of his fury!!

But before Jin can, he sinks down into the Earth and disappears.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
Reiya... does not call her Niko-chan. But a 'friend', Shinjiro calls her. Reiya looks to him with a thoughtful frown, and back to Niko again. "...Mistakes," Reiya says, "I accept that."

Suzume goes for it, while Reiya is obligated to consider her words. Does she not realize that the Dark Hour, itself, was created? Brought into being? ...If she doesn't, is it wise to tell her so? Reiya is quiet as he thinks it out.

"I think we can do it. I trust Ikutsuki-san."

That is his answer to it being 'too good'. But while they could keep fighting...

Reiya doesn't particularly want them to. He wants to drive her off as quickly as they can, so they can help the others. And something ''like'' that happens. Reiya prepares another maneuver--

But he sees it. "Look out--"

Ah.

She's gone. Reiya frowns. "...What the...?"

That's a trick he doesn't know.

"...I'm leaving the mist, in case she's less gone than I think she is. Let's go to the others," Reiya suggests.

Shinjiro's friendships can be interrogated later, if at all. Reiya already knows, after all; Shinjiro doesn't think he's reliable.

Perhaps this is why.

Reiya goes for the door and jumps the stairwell.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>Niko successfully sows doubt. Shinjiro grimaces, with everything he knows about her, about the drugs they mutually take. It's clear he's ruminating.

Reiya accepts that he's made mistakes. Shinjiro doesn't dwell on it, as he fights Niko, as she prepares a Theurgy cartridge (where did she get that?), as she is pulled away by an ally.

Instead, as Reiya suggests getting to the others...

"Yeah."

He'll be slower about it. He needs to think. But he will make it down there, even if he won't answer any questions tonight.

Hopefully he's not asked any.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Shizuka Kuroki has posed.
<poem>
As Jin disappears, Shizuka finally succumbs and falls to her knees, scraping herself a bit on the sidewalk, breath heavy as sweat and blood drip from her brow.

"And... stay out... asshole!"

A second passes, filled only with her ragged exhalations.

"Fuu-chan can you help me I don't think I can get up."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Suzume Fukura has posed.
<poem>"Su. Zu. Me. Call me Suzume!"

Suzume focuses on the anger from getting her name mangled rather than actually reply to the bulk of Niko's words... because, honestly, she doesn't have good answers.

She was already inclined to not trust the Kirijo Group - not after the island, and not after talking with Yukari and several others. And it seems that Niko is trying to drive a wedge - a crowbar really - in there.

Suzume does not think she's very smart. She isn't stupid but she frequently feels like she is, like she misses the obvious - that she's dense. Niko is making her feel stupid again, and she hates it. Shouldn't she have an answer for that if she's fighting for SEES? She already made her decision - she wants to protect people from the Dark Hour, from Mementos, from Shadows and things they can't possibly fight on their own. Like Jiro.

But...

She can't say it. Her anger builds, and she has nowhere to let it out - especially not as Niko, instead of unleashing her attack, retreats, however involuntarily that is, and cheats Suzume out of a target.

Suzume lets out a frustrated shout and kicks where Niko had just been, kicking up another dust storm as Atalanta unleashes what's left of her power before fading away. It doesn't help Suzume's attitude much as she breathes out, then in, trying to catch her breath as she looks up at Reiya...

...and Shinjiro.

"Yeah," she grunts out, a few moments later. "I'm fine. I'll help." Physically, she's okay; sore but she's had worse in Tartarus. Mentally...

Well, she'll survive.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
"Your own reasons?" Aigis asks Noriaki. The Dark Hour -- oh, well, if the problem is that he doesn't know, Aigis feels that it's okay to simply inform him, "My own designated purpose is to eliminate Shadows." Ending the Dark Hour means her purpose would have been fulfilled. That may cause some existential dread in ''people'', but in her case, it would be a happy occasion, right?

She scrunches her face up in confusion at his vague gesture in her direction. Getting? What's there for her to 'get'?

...

This time, Efnysien's strike lands solidly. Palladion is not aware, it has no perception of its own, it is normally ''inert'' until Aigis wills it to move. With Aigis' attention split between Takaya and Noriaki, and with her on the Takaya-facing side, the toy-horse flail catches them both unaware.

The force topples Palladion over, and it crashes onto Aigis, briefly pinning her to the ground, then dissipating as the combination of its own gravity and the full force of Efnysien's strike break even Aigis' concentration. "Sus -- sustaining-ing h-heavy damage -- " she announces through an electronically-distorted voice, repeating phonemes here and there.

Hitomi will no doubt be concerned again, so Aigis takes this moment to reassure her, "I a-am still-ill functional-l."

She presses her hands on the floor and pulls herself back up, now heavily dented and emitting sparks. She raises her arm in Noriaki's direction once more as Palladion re-appears. "I ha-have asked you time and time-ime again to-o leave. You ''will'' do so n-now. This is-is no longer a re-equest-t."

More guns reveal themselves from Aigis' wrist and shoulder. More compartments open up on the sides of Palladion. Before, Noriaki and Efnysien had to reckon with only one firearm each for two total; now, they're staring down a total of six barrels.

Direct shots are reserved solely by Palladion for Efnysien. Aigis, on the other hand, intends to lead Noriaki's exit with her shots, each one coming more and more perilously close to ''him''.
</poem>
AS: Aigis spends Limit on Psych!
AS: Tandem! Aigis has used the Pierce skill Six Shot on Noriaki Okaga! 3 Hits!
AS: Pressure: Aigis gains 1 Limit!
AS: Aigis: Fast Heal! Atk_Up, Def_Up, Psych, and Strike_Break removed!
AS: Aigis regains 3 SP from Invigorate!

<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ririka is panting, and she starts forward as Sudou gets up and moves for Koh. "Get awy from him!" And he does, in a roundabout way--byu kicking Koh towards her. "Damn you..."

She's a healer, but... she's not ''as'' much a healer as some others, like Takeba. She keeps an eye on Sudou as she kneels to check on Koh, but she's not sure she can doenough for Koh in this tate--

Thankfully(???) Sudou chooses that moment to leave, taking some of the others with him. That vanishing trick again...

"Amphion," she says quietly, "Diarama, please." With the other members of Strega leaving, that means Chidori is gone as well, and Ririka lets out a tense breath. "Yamagishi-san, can you help me check that they're all gone?"

Then she opens her thoughts to everyone else in SEES. <<We're checking to make sure everything is clear. Kuroki-senpai and Katsuhiro-san need help. Everyone, what's your status?>>

Directing her attention to helping everyone else will help keep her thoughts from from spiraling too badly... though she'll probably pay for that later with stress later. But it'll also keep her from wondering about Shinjiro, at least for a little bit.

Still, that's a really weird ruse they were playing at... surely, it couldn't possibly be real... right?
</poem>

AS: Avoid Worst! Noriaki Okaga takes 124 Pierce damage from Aigis's Six Shot.
AS: Noriaki Okaga is unable to continue fighting!
AS: Avoid Worst! Noriaki Okaga takes 178 Pierce damage from Aigis's Six Shot. Critical Hit!
AS: Noriaki Okaga is unable to continue fighting!
AS: Avoid Worst! Noriaki Okaga takes 124 Pierce damage from Aigis's Six Shot.
AS: Noriaki Okaga is unable to continue fighting!

<Pose Tracker> Fuuka Yamagishi has posed.
<poem>Fuuka watches as Shizuka goes in. She's able to land a vicious hit - but then, Jin's gone... and so is the Joker Killer. Fuuka exhales.

"The Joker Killer and the explosives-throwing member of Strega have vanished... I can't sense them in the area anymore." Fuuka reports to everyone. "Koh-san is hurt... we're going to need medical supplies. Is anyone else hurt?"

Before she can report anything else, Shizuka falls to her knees! Fuuka gasps, hurrying over to her.

"Yes, of course..." She assures. She can help her up - but Ririka asks for her help, too. Fuuka nods.

"Okay. I'll scan the area. I don't feel my senses being obscured anymore." Fuuka replies.

Between the two of them, they should be able to cover the entire area.

...But it's still worrying, and terrifying, that they were able to attack them at their own home like this, without anyone detecting it. She's so used to being able to sense danger before it comes. For ''this'' to happen...
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Noriaki Okaga has posed.
<poem>
Whatever his 'other' reason is, he's not telling.

"Tch. Goody-two-shoes, doin' what she's told," he says of Aigis, waving a hand dismisively. "But I guess, you ain't got a choice, do ya?"

After all, she's of Kirijo's make.

So he does feel like that, Hitomi discovers.

One thing may be clear in the way he's moving now: this isn't a game anymore. He's playing for keeps, as it were.

Hitomi, fortunately, has that makeshift shield. His knife hits the board once.

Then it knicks her finger. He can see her shock in her eyes. So he gets that one moment. One moment, mirrored in the way his lips split in a grin that's both malicious vindication and vengeance at once.

And it's gone in the moment his knife impacts the board too sharply, buried deep enough that it flees his grasp as the board dips down again. He doesn't chase after it. In a moment more, there's no room ''to'' chase after it.

There's flame, and he wheels back a step. Then there's flame, and he's the one burning. Then there's flame and there's flame and there's flame and flame and flame and flame flame flame flame bursting in a freewheeling explosion all around him. He burns and he reels but he's still standing and his Persona is still here.

And he might not have his knife anymore but he does have his Evoker.

Aigis, though, has been quite polite to him so far. This has its limits, as he finds out--

"You--"

Is as far as he gets. His Persona shatters, the second time tonight, and Noriaki recoils from the psychic impact the second time around. Aigis is still trying to sweep him out of here, though, but he's not

quite

Blood spatters across the kitchen floor. It's not a lot of it, as these things go. He's been winged, not shot anywhere important.

But he still staggers, leaning against a kitchen counter. The hand holding his Evoker rises up. For one long moment, Noriaki remains like that, the barrel of his Evoker jammed up against the underside of his jaw, his finger on the trigger. He breathes in and out once, twice, thrice

He jerks upright suddenly like a puppet hauled upright by a handful of strings and spits on the ground before him. Then, wheeling about, he suddenly pulls the trigger. Efnysien, full wroth, makes his return for one last whirling strike--

At the refrigerator. It may not survive this. At the very least, it will fall over.

His Persona fading out in the aftermath, Noriaki sprints in a jerky lunge for the wreckage that was the back door and the world beyond it.

It's time to leave, yes. His body can't take much more of this just now.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
<poem>
"Right!" Something in her is elated, as he switches to her first name as well. Is this what it's like to... get a little closer to someone?

What disturbs her though, even as cyclonic force empowers Minato's strike, smashing Takaya out of the dormitory... is the way he laughs... the way ''he laughs''.

Like he embraces death. Like he hopes for it.

''Nobody'' ought to, in her eyes.

There's a shiver of disgust, as he says they ought to have finished the job. She's glad they didn't but... something inside of her twists.

If you are really concerned with your own vanity, you are worse than someone who needs to be saved.

"Creep... what's wrong with you?" She murmurs, wondering if he's someone who doesn't like women because no one ever dated him.

No she doesn't ''actually'' think that really- there's something deeper, that gnaws at her gut and freezes her spirit.

It's easier to say it's that, than examine what might actually be wrong with him.

They're not finished yet though.

One last pull of the trigger, and Io erupts again, as healing magic sweeps over Hitomi and Aigis like a fresh breeze across a lake.

"Aigis? Mandai-chan? How are you both doing? That was... too much." She then looks Minato's way and smiles faintly, "But we did it..."

For a moment the elation sets in, like if even this, facing down death and how awful it is was at least ''a little fun''. Just like he said.

But then she takes stock of the place, and her expression sours, "Man... they really made a mess. It's going to take forever to clean up this place..."

Pause.

"... much less explain what happened to the cops."

</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Aigis has posed.
<poem>
Yukari asks how she and Hitomi are doing, though it's probably visually apparent how Aigis is doing. "I am-m in need-d-d of repair."

The mention of explaining things to the cops causes Aigis to quickly retract the wrist and shoulder guns back into herself.

Aigis first checks on Hitomi, quietly inspecting her for signs of injury. Speech is a bit hard for her at the moment.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Minato Arisato has posed.
<poem>
Takaya doesn't understand, Minato realises, as he keeps talking about her vanity.

He doesn't understand... what Yukari's really saying at all.

But as Minato literally evicts him, with Yukari's winds at his back...

He's screaming, Minato hears. He's praying for his own death.

But Minato doesn't want to kill him; he just wants him to ''leave.''

He shakes his head, silently, hearing Takaya tell them they ought have finished the job.

... but he knows he won't be seeing the last of Takaya today, either.

Minato got a little closer to Yukari, but in another sense, he's far away from everyone. It's as if he can watch himself turning -- looking to Yukari. "I don't understand him yet," he admits, and notices, as he says it, that it's his voice.

"But I couldn't have made him leave on my own. Thanks."

Without Yukari's strength... not even Minato could have stood up to something like Hypnos.

Hitomi and Aigis are evicting Noriaki -- and ''that's'' why he knew a homeless man was in the kitchen, he reflects, to himself, now he has a moment to. He must have recognised his 'feeling'...

"Aigis-san," Minato says, taking a step forward. "Thank you. You've fought hard enough today... Yamagishi-san will take care of you." There's not much ''he'' can do, after all, for a sparking machine.

"Mandai-san, too... you protected our home." He's still worried, about her, but...

"The others will be able to tell us more," Minato decides.

When he finds Reiya, in the stairwell -- what an odd way to descend -- Minato learns the rooftop is secure; in short order, he goes out front, to check on the groups who fought Jin and the Joker Killer. Once he's sure everyone is all right, he sets about updating Mitsuru, and Minako, and Ikutsuki...

... and he remembers to send someone out to find Ken and warn him about what happened, so that their youngest member and his dog aren't blindsided coming back to this.

</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
<poem>
Hitomi, still wreathed by that perfume-smoke haze of spiritual detonations, is greeted when her vision clears by Aigis -- struggling, and recovering. Hitomi looks to her with what is, on net, rather moderate concern -- but it's more some other countervailing force. Her eyes are focused.

Aigis speaks -- and reports being functional.

"Don't worry," Hitomi half-wheezes. "You're still cute."

FORTUNATELY THAT IS DROWNED OUT BY GUNFIRE

As well as a single decisive CRUNCH with a thousand subsidiary smashes as Hitomi lets out a wordless exclamation. It sounds disgusted! And startled! If one had to translate it, it might be 'hey rude!' But it's really more like 'Hhnh!?!'

When the haze clears, and they emerge, Hitomi has popped her wounded fingertip into her mouth. She had been wearing a pale-pink T-shirt while bumming around in her room in that incredibly long five, eight minutes since the attack began; on the right side in particular, there are several bloody cuts, including one on her temple.

Io's energy washes over her... and Hitomi stands a little straighter, taking that fingertip out of her lips and saying, "We..."

She sways for a moment. (Aigis's visual scan reveals that none of the cuts were very deep, even before Io's touch eased the pain and stanched bleeding; other than the fingertip it was all quite shallow. They were mostly aggravated by having to weave around a crazy man with a knife.)

All that light drains out of her eyes, like a hollow ice cube whose side has been punctured. "... everyone, is... is everyone alright? That guy had a -" She staggers and reaches out to steady herself on a chair. "A knife, and, the, gun, and."

Hitomi looks down at her shirt. Her hand starts trembling and doesn't, really, stop, though she looks back up at the two of them and says, more piteously, "Did you see anyone?" It sounded more like "anyone's" and there was another word in that sentence but she stopped herself.

Though her attention looks towards Minato. The trembling quiets down for the most part. She straightens. Hitomi's lips quirk as she lifts her head and says, while turning her head slightly, "Ah... Arisato-san's praising me... heheh..."

Hitomi abruptly drops to one knee, juddering with a "guh." A moment later she just gives up and sits down, slumped, if lifting her head enough to demonstrate some alertness.

"... I heard explosions," she offers, but that's a complete sentence.

</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 1]]

2026-01-05: Elephants in the Room

2026-01-12T00:15:34Z

Fureasei: Created page with "*'''Log: Elephants in the Room''' *'''Cast:''' Julian Marlowe, Ichika Kawase *'''Where:''' Kasugayama High School - Counselor's Office *'''OOC Date:''' January 05, 2026 *'''IC Date:''' September 05, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''In their first session after summer vacation, Julian addresses the matter of Eiji Kamiya with Ichika, pleased to hear she's doing better now that a massive weight is off her shoulders. They briefly discuss Ichika's grades and future plans, befor..."

*'''Log: Elephants in the Room'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Julian Marlowe]], [[Ichika Kawase]]
*'''Where:''' Kasugayama High School - Counselor's Office
*'''OOC Date:''' January 05, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' September 05, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''In their first session after summer vacation, Julian addresses the matter of Eiji Kamiya with Ichika, pleased to hear she's doing better now that a massive weight is off her shoulders. They briefly discuss Ichika's grades and future plans, before the session is interrupted by one Kotoha Shiranui. This prompts Julian to confide in Ichika in regards to the circumstances that led to the changed behavior of his latest 'fan'.''

----

<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
School is back in session, which for Julian Marlowe means a booked schedule full of counseling appointments from all the students who missed his support over summer vacation!

...He wishes. Counseling is still something most Kasugayama students don't see any value in, and only put up with when it was literally a punishment. On top of that, some of the appointments he did have were cancelled at the last minute, and he has a sneaking suspicion why that might be. He's heard the rumors. From who some would call his 'lackey', Tomoyo Harayama, whose behavior is not doing anything to dispel those rumors.

It's not a great situation, but it's also something that he doesn't feel he has a great amount of control over. Tomoyo at least listens when he asks her not to glorify him overmuch, but now Kotoha Shiranui has entered the picture, who does whatever she wants. And right now, what she wants is apparently to enforce some semblance of order on campus, while shouting his name a lot.

Thankfully, Ichika Kawase's name did remain on the schedule. There's someone who really makes him feel appreciated, if she cancelled on him that would hurt more than most. Besides, he's very curious to know how she's doing now, after Eiji's public confession. That unfortunately had to wait until now, as he can't let personal curiosity supersede professional distance.

He's not going to make a secret that he's pleased to see her return to his office, though. He's got the full complement of scones going today, along with a new variety of flower-based tea to try.

"Ah, Kawase-san, welcome! Please have a seat, pour yourself a cup of tea if you like. I've prepared Hibiscus this time - its light acidity does wonders to offset its generally fruity flavor, I find."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
<poem>
School is back, and Ichika has had a lot of feelings about a lot of things already. But today she's at school, and she hasn't actually skipped any classes this term so far! She's heard some of the rumors herself, but...

She doesn't really believe them, herself.

But now she's here! Ichika, in uniform (alterations and all) with much shorter hair, steps inside and waves. "Hey," she says. "Nice to see you."

Pause. "...Sure," Ichika says, and sits down, pours herself a little tea, and takes in the scent. "...Smells nice," she says.

Then she looks to Julian again. "Thanks." She takes a sip. "...Mmm." After a moment she nods. "Yeah. I can taste what you mean."

She'll drink more when it's a little less hot. For now...

"So, uh..."

She glances from the scones to Julian, "Long summer, huh? Feels like it took a while, anyway."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
On his side of the table, Julian has his own cup of tea already poured, along with a notebook and pen. But the latter are rarely touched during the sessions themselves, these days. Writing things down as they're speaking makes people nervous, he found. ...Instead, now he worries if ''not'' writing anything down makes it seem as if he doesn't care. This isn't a worry-free job, for many reasons. But one he does gladly.

"You changed your hair," he makes the obvious observation, without a value judgement. It's not always easy, but he isn't supposed to lead with personal opinions, as it can color how those who come to him feel before they've expressed it themselves.

He raises his tea cup as if giving a toast, taking a sip of his own. Quite a good balance, indeed. Much better balanced than he feels. ...Come on, what kind of a thought is that? Focus Julian, you're in the middle of a session.

Calmly setting down the tea, he lets out a short chuckle at the way Ichika opens the conversation. "That's not something I hear often from students. Or co-workers, for that matter. If anything, vacation never lasts long enough for their liking. Should I take that to mean you've looked forward to returning to school?"

Leaving room for Ichika to respond, he admits afterwards, "I've quite looked forward to it, myself. On paper, my primary profession is a teacher, but it's this part of the job that I find most personally fulfilling. I've yet to find a hobby that matches it, in that regard."

...Well. Unless you counted 'being a masked vigilante' as a hobby. But enough said about that. There are more important matters to get to.

Shifting in his seat, his expression turns more serious, as is only fitting for said matters. "Now, I don't want to seem pushy, in regards to what I know is a difficult subject for you. But it is part of my job to address any obvious elephants in the room first and foremost. This one was... particularly hard to miss, given that it was all over the news."

It's so obvious that the name of this elephant is 'Eiji' that he doesn't see the need to spell it out. Instead, he moves straight to the most important question.

"Are you okay?"

Simple and open-ended, he leaves Ichika the room to respond as curtly or elaborately as she chooses.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
<poem>
There's a lot to worry about.

"Yeah," Ichika says of her hair. "It's a lot easier to take care of now," she leads with. "...A ''lot'' easier. But that's not why. I just kind of... wanted to leave some stuff behind," she says. "It felt right."

She can make her own value judgements! As to the long summer... she looks thoughtful when he suggests an idea. "...Kinda yeah," she says. "I hadn't thought about it, but yeah. It's like... School's sorta a means to an end for me. I liked being Off, but I had a lot to do during the summer too..."

Not that she can explain why she was so busy. It occurs to her it might be dangerous to tread on that too much; after all, she was busy being a Phantom Thief, by the end there.

"Oh, cool. Yeah... You seem into your work. It's good, right?" she asks. "You should do stuff you care about. That's... important."

But a difficult subject--she knows what that means. And there is a ''big'' elephant in this room.

"...I'm OK," Ichika answers at length. "It was... I have a lot of feelings about it. How he was hurting other people, too... How him going away doesn't... change what happened. But I think I can move forward, you know...?"

"Well, I hope so. I'm trying, anyway. But I feel like I can. I'm sort of... trying to look ahead."

She pauses. "People keep telling me I should spend more time being 'young', and I think that's kinda true, but..."

"If you're not going ''towards'' something aren't you just sort of aimless? I think that's true, too."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
Leaving things behind... a symbolic gesture, then. A reminder that things are different now. Julian can see how that might be fitting, even if he couldn't imagine himself with neither more nor less hair. He doesn't say anything about it, even after, merely nodding in understanding.

Kind of amazing, how she decided to do the exact same thing as Ogre did, back in the Palace. He can only imagine that she and Ichika were both victims of Eiji. It's the only thing that makes sense.

But of course, even regular normal teenagers have busy summers, he quite understands. But that's not the only reason why he touched upon her feelings on school. "I think we're much alike in that regard, actively working towards accomplishing that which we most wish to accomplish. Your efforts have not gone unnoticed, I assure you."

...Does he know about her Phantom Thief activities? Did the rumors have it wrong, and he's not a Brainwasher, but a Mindreader??

"This has not been an easy time for you, but it's obvious to me that despite everything, you've been putting the effort in. How do you feel, about your exam results?"

Ohhh. Yeah of course the teacher would talk about grades. Which may not have been exceptionally high, but Ichika could be forgiven for not being able to focus on her school work at all, what with the whole Eiji situation going on. That's all he was getting at.

And now, Ichika feels as if she can move forward. Julian gives her a firm nod. "Putting the past behind us is never easy. No one would be helped by pretending it's not there. But if you can manage to look ahead instead of behind, you have already taken a very important step."

Talking to yourself? Shut up, myself.

He lets another chuckle escape in response to Ichika's following words, making him feel the need to explain that one. "I don't believe anyone would take me seriously if I claimed to be an expert on 'youth'. But I would say... there isn't a single 'correct' response, there. I don't believe there's anything wrong with living in the moment, nor should it be an obligation. If you feel positive about the future, then by all means, don't let your desired future out of your sight."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
<poem>
It's certainly a logical explanation. ...Though Ichika's hairstyle ''is'' a little more polished than Ogre's was at the time; in reality, she got it touched up by a professional later.

Alike? "Hmm... That's cool," she says. She doesn't mind being like him in some ways; she thinks he's pretty good. But she does worry for a moment--which efforts, exactly? Until--

"Ah, yeah," she says. "Well, it's mostly the help I've been getting, but..." She nods. "I feel pretty good about it. I still don't know if I'll manage entrance exams or whatever, but... I feel pretty good about where I placed. I felt so behind for so long, after having to take basically a whole term off... And now I think I'm getting somewhere."

They weren't exceptional, but they were sure better than they would've been otherwise. She worked pretty hard at it.

"...Yeah," she says. "Thanks. I'm trying, anyway. I figure... I don't want to be trapped there forever. And..." She bites her lip. "...I gotta keep moving. I'm not leaving her behind, I'm just... moving forward."

Her? Well, it might not be hard to guess who 'she' is, if she's not Ichika's past self.

She doesn't recognize his conflicts. Maybe that's better.

He laughs, though, and Ichika tilts her head. ...She grabs a scone while she listens, biting into it and appreciating the flavor and texture for a moment.

When she finishes chewing, "...OK," she says. "I appreciate that. Like..."

"I've got a few things I want to do, in my future? ...I'm gonna maybe try to get into a university. So I can study, uh.. journalism. But whether I can do that or not, I also want to have a family..."

"It's part of why Eiji was so bad," she says. "...I almost had what I wanted. But not really. I didn't want it like ''that''."

"And like... That's... how it happened, you know? He got mad because I had worries. Because I wasn't sure, because we were moving so fast..."

She sighs. "But that's on him, not me."

"Now..." She actually smiles, and picks up her teacup. "I've got prospects. It's nice."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
It's 'cool', is it? Here Julian was already regretting his word choice. She's clearly just being polite, he's pretty sure there's nothing cool about being compared to a ''teacher''. Stupid, stupid.

He doesn't feel the need to ask specifics about the help, but if he had to guess, he wouldn't be surprised if a certain Kashihara was involved. How that boy manages to achieve those kinds of results and still find time to help others pass their exams as well, he'll never know. All he knows is that Kasugayama is lucky to have a decent number of positive figures among the student body, Ichika included. If anything, what he's seeing now parses as false modesty.

"Regrettably, there are many who are too proud to accept help, no matter the evidence that they need it. Make no mistake, regardless of how it came about, your own attitude is at the root of your success. I see no reason to doubt that you'll continue to improve from here."

It feels like there's a joke about yourself in there. Didn't I tell you to shut up, myself?

Julian doesn't actually have a very good idea about who the 'her' might be, that Ichika mentions. His first thought is of Ogre, which, even if he could never guess the full truth, you can't fault him for seeing a strong connection there, in light of everything that happened. Not his place to pry, anyway.

He leaves the scones be for now, himself. Imagine if he ended up talking with his mouth full, how ungentlemanly would that be?

"You mentioned your reporter friend," he notes with a nod. "I can see she's had a big influence on you. I consider it quite enviable, really, to be so certain of what you want, at your age." He folds his hands together in front of him, sobering. "...But, yes. Unfortunately, deplorable individuals exist who would take advantage of people's hopes and dreams like that. Honestly, who would lose their temper over the mere voicing of concerns?" Easy for him to say, perhaps. Is it even possible for Julian Marlowe to lose his temper?

His smile returns when Ichika's does, raising his own teacup. "I can't tell you how pleased I am, hearing you put the blame where it truly belongs." That sure used to be different, he recalls. And it's far from unique to Ichika. "It may be the most difficult step to take, but you managed it. Even if I just got done talking of the follies of pride, that certainly is something that you can and should take pride in."

Just, everything in moderation. Same as drinking tea. Small sips.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Super cool.

It's definitely down mostly to Jun's tutoring, in Ichika's mind. But he says it's her attitude... "Mm," she says. "Maybe. I do want to keep improving..."

Ichika doesn't elaborate for now; some things, she just kind of glides over, or assumes are obvious, if she thinks about them at all. "Yeah. I met another, too... She got me thinking about how photography would help." She pauses, and then smiles. "You think so?" she wonders. Knowing what she wants... "I mostly hear people telling me to slow down..."

But deplorable individuals. "Yeah," she says. "Yeah."

"It is his fault," she says. "I thought for the longest time... that it was mine. That I could've changed things, if I'd just done something different. ...but I guess I had to admit I didn't have any 'power', back then. I couldn't change it because he took that control from me. Now... It's different. I'll make my own path."

She smiles. "...Thanks," she says. "I... I will."

She sips her own tea, too.

"I think..."

"I think it's like that, anyway."

"So, um..."

"Thanks."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
Julian has seen no reason for assuming Ichika won't keep improving. Now that she's no longer trapped in Eiji's stranglehold. This is exactly why he has a positive opinion of the Phantom Thieves. Who could look at someone's life being so strongly improved by their actions and think badly of those responsible for taking that weight off their shoulders? Maybe if there was anything to respect about the individuals they choose to target, but that sure hasn't been the pattern.

And, yes... it feels very good to have played a part in it himself, in multiple ways, even if he can't tell Ichika about the more direct way. But regardless of how it came about, seeing someone so enthusiastic about a brighter future than they once thought possible, that's all he wants to see.

While the advice to slow down is warranted at times, his opinion on that is simple, calmly explaining as he sets down his cup, "Well. I believe the expression 'take it at your own pace' doesn't suddenly become invalid if your pace happens to be a high one." Everyone pursues their happiness differently. All that matters is that you do indeed pursue it.

He can't say, and obviously wouldn't want to, how painful it was to hear Ichika so convinced that she was 'trouble'. But now everything is clear, how it was all due to the faults of another. Thank you indeed, Phantom Thieves.

Being thanked like that is enough to get a little embarrassing even, the counselor scratching his cheek. "...All I have to do is say what I truly believe, my part of the work is the easy part, really. It's you who--"

Abruptly, the door to the counselor's office flies open, another girl in very flagrant violation of the dress code by wearing a red and black ensemble that look like they're from a different school entirely. Does any school even have uniforms where the skirts go all the way down to your ankles?

"Yo, Counsel Boss! Got another name for your list! ...Oh hey Thorn Boss."

Julian's face slides down into his palm. "Shiranui. ''After'' my appointment?" The girl flashes a thumbs-up in response. "Sure, you got it!" And just like that, the whirlwind is gone.

Julian sighs. "...Sorry about that. Where were we...?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
<poem>
The Phantom Thieves did a lot for Ichika--and not just as Thieves, either. Talking to them as people helped her, too.

To say nothing of what two of them (one of the originals, and a new one like her) are doing for her mood...

"Hmmmm... OK," Ichika says. "I mean, I'm not gonna go ''too'' fast," she allows. "There's some stuff I have to wait on. But I can set out some groundwork, right?" She smiles.

His part of the work is easy? Ichika's not so sure, but--suddenly--

"Oh, hey Shiranui," Ichika greets, nodding her way. She is a little /surprised/ but not terribly /disturbed. And her skirt is just as long, anyway.

"Heh," she says. "You got a new fan, I see. Or maybe more like an assistant?" she wonders.

"You can tell she thinks a lot of you. ...I mean, uh. Not like ''that''," she's quick to clarify, "It's not weird or anything. It's just kinda funny."

"We could use a little more order around here so I don't especially mind. Success story, maybe?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
Good thing that Ichika hasn't gone into detail about how there are two people doing wonders for her mood. Julian would have absolutely no idea what to do with that except say that he's 'not that kind of counselor'. Relationship counseling is something he cannot do, for a number of reasons. ...Technically he's already going beyond what the school would prefer for him to focus on, but never mind that. He's not... ''not'' doing that, he mentioned grades!

But, never mind his train of thought, that's been thoroughly derailed by another instance of his door randomly getting thrown open. This has been happening way too often lately. It's already stopped startling him and moved into just being tiresome.

"Please, don't start," he responds without raising his head. That's what they commonly call it now. One was 'teacher's pet', two was enough to elevate it to 'fan club'. Both assisting him in their own ways. He can only hope they're not saying--

Julian goes white as a sheet at the mere possibility of Ichika's words, taken a different way. "I..." Lost for words for once, it takes until the clarification for him to let out another tired breath, rubbing his forehead. "Really. You don't think it's weird?" Makes one of her, he's not willing to bet on the whole school feeling that way.

"Maybe...?" is the best he's got on 'success story'. There's no way to set the record straight for the whole school, but... at least he can explain himself to Ichika. As weird as it is to be the one talking of his problems during one of these sessions... it's not that she isn't related to it, if tangentially.

"There's no easy way to say this, but, Shiranui was... abducted, by people related to Eiji Kamiya." He pauses to let that sink in, before he continues.

"She'd come into my office before, mostly disinterested, but... I learned some things." Which he can't go into detail about, but, "Enough to realize that, when I heard she was in the hospital, no one would come to visit her. So I decided to. She doesn't remember what happened very clearly, but the name 'Eiji Kamiya' was clear enough. ...This is likely her way of paying me back, for supporting her in her moment of weakness."

Ichika can probably put two and two together, from what Vesper told Ogre. This is the Kasugayama Student who got trapped in Eiji's Palace, and Vesper rescued. The circumstances are not entirely the same, but... it's not unreasonable to think that this could be how Kotoha remembers it.

Shifting uncomfortably in his seat, Julian adds, "...I only told you what she told me outside of our sessions, but this still feels a bit like a breach of confidence. Still, given the circumstances... I thought you should be aware."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Maybe he should invest in a lock? Hmmm, that might be bad for other reasons...

But Julian asks her not to start, and Ichika ''would'' laugh if not for the fact that she had to correct herself a second. "No," she says. "It's pretty normal for a student to have like, a mentor?" she says. "It's a little weird how she does it, but... not in a way that's weird for Kasu High, if that makes sense."

But maybe. Hmm.

"...Oh." Ichika sobers quite quickly at that; she remembers there was a girl Vesper mentioned, but whether or not she's the same girl, Ichika couldn't say. Either way, he went to go visit, and...

"Yeah, I get it," she says. "That's cool. In that case it's definitely not weird."

She has a feeling it's the same one, though.

"That's fine, I won't tell anybody," she says. "But you can tell her she can talk to me if she needs to. About... him. What he was doing."

"But anyway yeah. That's cool of you. I'm glad she got out. ...The stuff he was doing..."

"I thought I'd end up in that line of work," Ichika admits plainly, though it's hard to do. "I thought I wasn't good at anything else, and it was just inevitable, since he ruined my life. The line of work he forced girls into, I mean."

"...Even if he didn't get around to forcing her into anything... And it's not my business if he did--it's scary stuff."

"...So anything you can do to help someone out like that--that's not weird. It's good."

"If it helps, I can bust some heads if people start talking weird about you." Pause. "I mean, uh, 'strenuously debate' them. Yeah. that's the word Tsubasa said was good."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
Julian likes to say that 'his door is always open', but he did start to lock it when he wasn't in, after his expensive tea set was stolen. Then he found out people were picking the lock, so he gave up and started leaving scones out for any would-be thieves. That actually worked better as a deterrent, it's not fun when people expect you to break in. Though some still do. They're good scones.

Not that any of that matters, because yeah, he is so not locking the door when there's a student in there with him. Plenty of fuel for rumors already, he doesn't need any more.

Julian only nods to agree with Ichika at, "...Yes, little weird. I'm more used to mentoring being something that both parties agreed to." Though admittedly, it's not hard to believe these things work differently at Kasu High. Especially with how non-confrontational Julian is. Encouraging people to do what they want all the time may have backfired a little bit.

Ichika seems to be taking things in stride for the most part, which is a relief. Not just because he'd hate to upset her, he'd also hate to be prompted for more details. Such as, how he knew the girl was in the hospital to begin with. It would only raise more questions if he admitted to having brought her there himself.

"Unfortunately, I could hardly inform the entire school of this, so there is... not much I can do about these rumors. If I let slip that I spoke to you about it, I rather suspect I'll be in for it already. But, I'll keep your offer in mind."

Should it be necessary. The girl does seem fine now, but. He's seen his share of cases where appearances were deceptive. And it's true that Ichika could likely provide more support than him, should it be needed.

Maybe it's putting his head in the sand a little, but Julian's grimace betrays how much he does not what to think about what could have happened. Has happened, to other girls. And undoubtedly continues to happen, elsewhere in the world. Makes him sick to his stomach to be confronted with the fact that humans can be that cruel.

"...I can only do so much," he responds, painfully aware of his limitations. "But I want to do what I can."

Then he sputters, at the notion of 'busting some heads'/'strenuously debate' on his behalf. "I... don't know if rumors of the Thorn Boss joining forces with the Counsel Boss would be an improvement, but thank for you for the offer."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
<poem>
They are good scones. Ichika's gonna have another. Just one more, though.

"Heh. Yeah, I guess so. But that's Kasu High for you. My crew just kind of... Well, it just sort of happened."

Ichika can take a lot in stride, more than she used to be able to. But that's because of her 'extracurricular activities', in part, which she obviously can't explain to Julian. ...She does believe strongly in a girl's privacy, though. So that helps.

"Ah, yeah. You can't, and shouldn't, yeah. Well, it'll be fine. People talk, but like, if they hear something more interesting they'll talk about that instead."

Ichika notes the grimace--and she reflects on what it must be like from his position...

"Thanks," Ichika says. "You did a lot. You helped me see I have other options. ...Helped me sort out how I was feeling."

She considers that. "Guess that's true," she admits. "Well, I'll still stomp down on rumors when I see them, but I won't make a thing of it, OK?"
</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 1]]

2026-01-07: Already A Friend

2026-01-09T00:15:06Z

Fureasei: Created page with "*'''Log: Already A Friend''' *'''Cast:''' Niko Kirisaki, Reiya Aomori *'''Where:''' Port Island Station - Back Alleys *'''OOC Date:''' January 07, 2026 *'''IC Date:''' September 06, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''Reiya spots Niko in the vicinity of the SEES dorm again and stealthily follows her. When she doesn't go anywhere particularly notable, he decides to confront and question her directly. With Reiya playing along with her whims, Niko finds him interesting enough to..."

*'''Log: Already A Friend'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Niko Kirisaki]], [[Reiya Aomori]]
*'''Where:''' Port Island Station - Back Alleys
*'''OOC Date:''' January 07, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' September 06, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Reiya spots Niko in the vicinity of the SEES dorm again and stealthily follows her. When she doesn't go anywhere particularly notable, he decides to confront and question her directly. With Reiya playing along with her whims, Niko finds him interesting enough to cooperate with the proposed 'game': an information exchange.''

----

(|==================== Port Island Station - Back Alleys =====================|)
-======================================= Iwatodai City/Tatsumi Port Island ====-
The first thing one might notice is the conflict of old versus new. The
businesses here are more run down, but still stand defiantly, signs of rougher
dive bars and hangouts for the folk who don't quite belong in the sunlight of
Port Island. In the day, it's mostly drunks and people with nowhere else to go
who stand outdoors.

At night, the rougher elements of the town congregate openly amidst the rusted
chain link fences and litter-filled streets. Delinquent teens who never made it
into high school hang out, openly ignoring the laws decent people follow. All
who enter here are subject to at least seven pairs of eyes on them, deciding
whether or not someone belongs amongst them.

Better hope you pass muster, or you're gonna risk a beating.

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
There's been a predator stalking the nest. Is what you might say if you wanted to be poetic about Niko Kirisaki of Strega, having been seen hanging about the Iwatodai dorm's general vicinity. Not on a daily basis, but more than the one time Minako spotted her and struck up a conversation. Which went pretty hilariously off topic, to the point where things may have been learned about Niko personally, but nothing about what she was actually ''doing'' there.

Unless you wanted to take her claims at face value, that she was just bored and wanted to see what would happen. Completely in character for Niko, to be fair. But is that really a safe assumption to make from a known Strega operative, who takes money to commit violence, and seems to be of the opinion that the Joker Killer is a real swell guy? Perhaps someone should... find out.

Sure enough, Niko showed up again today. More than once even. The first time she passed by was during school hours. The second time though was in the early evening. She didn't actually appear to be doing much of anything. Just pass by out in front of the dormitory. Lingering a moment, staring at the front door, gaze lifting higher up for a short time. And then she just kept walking. Disappointed, perhaps, that no one came out to confront her this time. As far as she noticed.

So where does Niko go, on your typical evening? Well, first she went to a konbini at the local station's strip mall, buying potato sticks and a pack of gum. No crimes there, she just paid for everything like a normal person. The clerk seemed to know her, they had a friendly bit of chit-chat. Then she took the train to Port Island Station, snacking on the potato sticks on the way. Again, zero crimes involved, unless you count the whole 'food on the train' bit, but who pays attention to that? She just used a pass, no hopping of turnstiles or anything like that.

Getting off the train, she got a coffee from a vending machine, cheerfully waved at someone in passing - was that the owner of Rafflesia? - and made her way directly into territory that only those of ill repute would even think of going. The infamous back alleys of Port Island Station.

After briefly acknowledging the couple of other punks chatting in the entryway, she leaned against a wall by herself, finishing off her potato sticks and can of coffee - effortlessly lifting the lid of a nearby dumpster with one hand to dispose of the packaging. Can't even put her down for littering, is she really a criminal??

After a while, the other two punks leave, leaving Niko by herself. A moment later, she stretches herself out, pops a stick of gum in her mouth, and casually strolls deeper into the alleys. Is this it? Are we finally getting somewhere of note?

Well, if you consider 'a dead end' to be somewhere of note. All Niko does is sit down on a crate, after a while starting to hum a cheery tune to herself. Is this really all she does on a typical evening...?

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
Reiya Aomori has noticed a certain attested Strega member hanging around the dorms. That could be harmless, of course--but it could be a problem. But today, she won't have to be disappointed long, because...

The second time Niko steps by, Reiya steps out in secret as she leaves, and stealthily follows her. In some cases he's just with the crowd; in some cases he's hidden in alleyways. At least once he's on the konbini's roof.

No crimes; food on the train does ''not'' count. It seems many people know Niko. Or at least, on a casual acquaintance basis. Then, there's the matter of the back alleys...

The dead end is right; Reiya judges that there's no more to be determined just by tailing her, not unless he continues into the Dark Hour, which... would be risky.

So:

Reiya steps out of the shadows when the punks leave. "Hello," a boy in a Gekkoukan uniform says. He has blue hair and violet eyes; he looks a lot like but not identical to Minato. And--

"Kirisaki-san, isn't it?"

"My name is Aomori."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Niko jumps five feet in the air when she suddenly hears her name. Metaphorically, she didn't actually jump at all. It just looks like her spirit left her body for a second there. Then she lets out her breath, hand on her chest.

"Don't ''do'' that, geez!"

Perfectly normal reaction to someone who seemingly appeared out of nowhere. 'Normal' would be the wrong descriptor for her for so many reasons, but that doesn't mean she doesn't respond sensibly, sometimes.

Vaguely annoyed, she looks the culprit up and down, before hopping off her crate. She doesn't quite reach his height, but it's very close. Not common for a girl, but then neither is the muscle definition, certainly not at the high school age she appears to be.

"You don't look like the sort that normally hangs out here. I'd ask if you were lost or something, but... you know my name."

Suddenly, she smiles, raising her voice as she points in his direction. "Or, so you thought, but you got it WRONG! It's Niko-chan, Ni-ko-chan~ Go on, say it! Tell me your first name while you're at it, why dontcha? Can't get started off on the right foot without being friendly with each other, now can we?"

Hopefully Reiya has a high mint tolerance, because her breath is ''extremely'' minty right now - that's Black Black she's chewing, a caffeinated gum known for its intense menthol punch.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
It's a very normal reaction! Reiya doesn't apologize this time; instead, he regards Niko thoughtfully; near his height, muscular...

"I'm not," Reiya confirms. He is neither lost nor the type to usually hang out here. But?

"Hmm."

That is ''intensely'' minty--he doesn't flinch but he does notice it. And the name... He remains quite stoic about the whole thing. He thinks about it--and decides...

"Very well, Niko-chan. I don't know that we'll be friends, but if that is your preference I can oblige."

"My given name is Reiya. You may use it if you wish."

"I wanted to ask you a few questions. That's why I'm here."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Oh man, Niko thinks to herself, could it be? Creeping up on you silently, zero qualms about using the Niko-chan address, and the way he talks... there's a ''second'' Kurou Ryouhara?? This is a huge plus in Niko's book, Kurou has proven to be very interesting. If this guy is half as interesting, this could actually be fun.

She does not hide her elation one bit, that smile growing impossibly wider when her request/demand is assented to. "That's right, that's right, you got it! And so I will call you... Reiya-chan!" At least she sees no need to add a nickname on top of that, it's not necessary this time. Two syllables tops or she needs to shorten it, that's the rule.

She waves a hand dismissively. "And don't you worry about that, after all..."

Unnecessarily long dramatic pause...

"You are... already a friend."

Yes, she literally just went 'omae wa mou tomodachi da'. She'll indulge her inner nerd whenever she feels like it.

If nothing else, Reiya seems to have successfully put Niko in the best of moods, which may increase her level of cooperation. If you wanted to think about things in practical and thus ''boring'' terms. That's not what Niko's all about.

"Sure sure, ask away, whatcha wanna know?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
Reiya would have opinions about being compared to Kurou ''Ryouhara''. But he doesn't know that right now. Instead, he just sort of rolls with things, because he's here on a mission. It's a little weird to go straight to -channing with someone who may be the enemy, but not as weird as some other things he's seen around lately. At least she seems happy; that should make her more cooperative.

Yes, he's boring like that.

"...Hm. I suppose it's better than being already dead," he allows. He apparently gets the reference.

"Reiya-chan, then. I'll accept this."

He does have a sense of dignity... but it's like making a deal!

"First, I wanted to know why you hang around the Iwatodai dormitories--the Gekkoukan dorm."

"The one that SEES occupies. I've noticed your presence there; you occasionally talk to its members, but even when you don't, you're around."

"Why is that? It seems quite out of your way."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
He gets the reference?! And he let her -chan him but never mind that HE EVEN GETS THE REFERENCE?! Is... is this guy actually perfect? At this rate, Niko might actually cry tears of happiness. It's usually so hard for people to really get her, but this complete stranger is making her feel so ''appreciated''!

But then, unfortunately... he gets to his questions. Which are about ''that''. Her face falls abruptly.

"...Oh. I see. You're with ''them''. Well that sucks."

Doesn't mean she can't appreciate those other things about him, including his directness. But it does reframe things a bit, doesn't it? Now she has to consider ''motivations'' and stuff, have to actually watch what she says. What a pain.

But even though she just looks deflated now, she still answers the question. Sort of.

"Does there need to be a reason? I'm just doing what I want. Right now, I feel like seeing what you SEES people are all about." That smile is quick enough to return, at least. "So, thank you for getting the hint! I appreciate you coming all the way out here to hang out, saved me the trouble!"

Then her hand flies to her mouth in shock. "Wait, how DID you find me back here? Were you FOLLOWING me? Do I have a STALKER?" Then she just grins. "Kickass, always wanted to know what that felt like."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
Unfortunately, reality must always settle in. "I am," Reiya confirms. He doesn't comment on how deflated she looks; that's not as important. But...

"Hmm." Does there need to be a reason? "Everyone has reasons for what they do. Even if it's just curiosity." Seeing what they're all about... "Fair enough. I wonder the same about you and your group," he says. But before he can continue--

"Yes," Reiya says. "Well, a stalker implies I would keep following you... But now that we're having the chance to speak, I have no reason to continue."

"For now. I may have a reason in the future."

Hmmm.

"I can tell you what we're about, in my view at least. I'd like you to do the same for you and your allies, to me. Understanding one another would be helpful to both of our aims, I think."

"I will go first; SEES intends to protect the people from the Shadows and other supernatural hazards, especially Apathy Syndrome and the Dark Hour."

"Do you and your allies have a goal?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
"True that," Niko will allow. "If you wanna say the reason is 'curiosity', that's fair. If it helps, you wouldn't be getting my attention if you were boring."

''Does'' that help? Niko thinks it should. Few things worse to be than boring. And to be deprived of her attention, who'd want that that happen? And yes, Strega is many things but they're not boring, Reiya's right to be interested in kind.

Too bad he isn't really a stalker. Wait, too bad?! "Damn. Easy come, easy go, huh?" She brightens at the possibility of there being reason to in the future. "Cool. I'll be sure to keep an eye out for ya~" Niko why do you want a stalker what is wrong with you

Well, attention from a guy like this isn't so bad, in general. He already has her figured out so well. Right down to the way he chooses to change his approach, make it a little more interesting.

"Ohhh, I see, you wanna make a game out of this? Sure, I'll play." She looks perfectly happy to, and there's nothing feigned about that. She listens to what he has to say about SEES's goals, and... she shakes her head.

"See, right off the bat you're making a mistake. You think we're like you, this big ol' group of buddy-buddies that fight for justice with the power of friendship, or whatever. We're ''barely'' a group, we just kind of do our own thing most of the time." She spreads her arms wide, indicating this empty corner she chose to sit in, by herself. "Haven't even decided yet where I'll sleep tonight."

She shrugs. "Sure, we do stuff together. Mostly someone goes 'I wanna do this, who wants in', and then we go from there. That'll be the goal, for that day, and then we move on."

As a casual afterthought, she adds, "If that's all you guys wanna do, good luck, I guess."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
"Hmm. It does help. It tells me more about your motivations," Reiya says. He is not completely unfamiliar with boring vs. interesting; he is a drama guy. But... It's strange. He expected an enemy, someone intent upon their goals as he is upon his. Niko is... different from that.

"Good. Though, if I do it properly, you won't see me," he points out. He doesn't clarify that he has ninja training; that's one of those things that goes without saying.

For his part, he figures a fair exchange of information is--well, it's not actually ''fair'', he's holding back, but sharing things that he considers public knowledge in return for more detailed information is a trick that's worked for him before.

"Oh?" A mistake. His eyes turn distant as she says that. "I assumed it was something less savory," he admits, "But I ''did'' assume you were a unified group. That's true." They do their own thing... and he tilts his head when she says she hasn't decided where to sleep. "No family?" he wonders. "No home?"

But they do stuff together.

"Thank you. That is helpful to me. I understand then that you have disparate goals..."

"But I do have one more question."

"Where did your sometimes-allies get their Evokers?" he wonders. "If you're aware, and willing to tell me."

"..Since you call it a game, I will of course answer another question in return, if you wish."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Niko has all kinds of motivations! She is so complex, you'll never guess them oh wait she just pretty much gave the game away, that's it, that's everything. Well. She does have certain deeper motivations. She just doesn't talk about those, with anyone. They couldn't, and shouldn't, understand.

But never mind that, who wants to talk about *stalking*? "Well that's not fair. You gotta tell me if you're gonna stalk me. We'll make it a game of hide and seek, it'll be fun!" Whoops, already moved on from stalking, now it's something else. Is she somehow even younger than she looks, to be so excited about hide and seek?

Well, at least they have their current game to play. It's a fun game too, being perfectly honest about everything you say, just not saying absolutely everything. Niko plays it all the time. She knows the rules, and feels confident about knowing when it's best to stop following them.

'Less savory' he says. Niko can't help but let out a small guffaw. "Well, we ''do'' get back at people for money, you do know that right?" Revenge Request is kind of an open secret (you can get the link for 500 yen if you know who to ask!), there's no way SEES wouldn't know about that. And thus no reason not to admit it. "Same deal though. Someone goes 'here's a job, who wants in'. Everyone who helps gets their fair share. It's a living."

By the way she's talking, Reiya's questions about family and a home have an easy answer. "Strega's the closest thing any of us got. It's where you go when you don't belong anywhere."

She doesn't look particularly sad about it. Just kind of 'it is how it is'. But, attitude matters too. The way she lost that energetic edge to her bearing. Not that it would be a huge shock, if the teenager with a sad life did feel sad about it. And did not want to be confronted with it.

She's quick to return to her usual self, at the question about Evokers. "Talking to the wrong gal about that one. They gave one to me when I joined, all I know is, they can get more. Don't know where they come from, don't care." And she's not about to throw Jin under the bus by saying he's the one who takes care of that.

So instead, she decides to take advantage of the opportunity presented, grinning widely. "You're damn right, it should've been my turn already! So, how about this..." She takes a moment to consider her phrasing, chewing her gum loudly, because that helps with the thinking. "Tell me about the Kirijo Robo."

There, perfect phrasing. She's been curious about that ever since Noriaki told her about it. "You deadass got an actual android fighting with you? That's totally metal, like, literally, holy shit. You gotta tell me all about what it can do."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Reiya Aomori has posed.
<poem>
Everybody has their secrets. Reiya certainly has his. But stalking!

"Hmmm. Being unfair is the point," he muses. "But that could be interesting. A good way to keep on my toes." He doesn't plan to let Strega practice going through his abilities, but it's true that it would be interesting.

Still... It is fun.

"Yes," Reiya says. "But money as a motivation seemed... insufficient. You could already rob stores and people during the Dark Hour trivially. So I assume there's more to it than that."

Strega... Family and home. "I see."

Reiya doesn't push it; he's not going to prod something sensitive... or at least, that he assumes is sensitive. He's not entirely sure; he misses some cues. That's why even his interrogation technique is so direct, because he's not the social guy.

"I see. Well, fair enough. You not only have them, you have a source for them. That's something."

He didn't get the answer he wanted... but fair's fair. Or at least, the appearance of fair. Kirijo Robo!

"Gynoid," Reiya corrects. "...All right. Yes. She is capable of fighting Shadows with great facility. She has inbuilt firearms," something Noriaki saw, "And a Persona." Something Noriaki also saw. "She is far more adept physically than most humans, as well. Her agility, strength, and endurance are top-tier. I do not recommend fighting her if you can help it."

"...Really, that's all the questions I had for now. It has been... Interesting, speaking with you."

"I won't try to chase you off of talking to the others." He starts to turn away. "Though..."

"If we speak again, maybe something less serious. I hear you like video games."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Niko of course is quick to affirm what she wants to hear. "Yeah yeah, now you're getting it. It's all about sharpening your senses. ...And shit." Bit of an odd pause, but whatever. She's obviously just in it for the fun, she's made no secret about that being her main motivation in anything she does.

"Man," is her only initial response, when Reiya goes over other things they could do for money. As if she's ''insulted'' by thinking that lowly of them. There's a brief pause before she casually states, "I'm not gonna say it's about justice or anything, but... feels better to go after people who deserve it, doesn't it?"

Reiya has correctly judged that pushing it on what she doesn't have would be a mistake. She's about fun, as has been established. Topics that are not fun are best avoided.

This is why the game works so well for her. And she's played it well enough, she didn't lie a single time, right down to not giving a shit about logistics. She'll simply take whatever people give her. Good policy in her book.

She laughs boisterously at the word 'gynoid'. "Damn, you are such a nerd." She can say that, because she's one too. This is a compliment.

Interesting through. She knew there was a personality involved, apparently one elaborately enough constructed to be specifically a female one. Everything she hears just reaffirms what she already hoped. That it would be just like something ripped straight out of an anime. Makes zero sense for that to be real, but if is, then she's got to see this gynoid for herself. Don't worry about the giggling she's doing to herself as she listens. Nothing to worry about.

The giggle becomes louder when Reiya gives her his final recommendation. Purposely imitating the way he speaks, she promises with a slight bow, "I will take that recommendation under advisement."

Yeah, she's totally fighting her, first chance she gets. Ain't nobody who'd believe otherwise. Niko isn't like most humans in a physical sense, she's got to know how she measures up to an actual robot.

She is a little surprised, at the game ending so soon. Really, that was it? Takaya was right, they have no idea, they do? Well, that's alright. She bets there will be more questions next time.

Or... maybe about less serious matters? "Ha! Yeah, that's cool. I do like video games. Well, thanks for hanging out. Made for a less boring evening, for sure."

She calmly watches Reiya leave, before moving out of the dead end herself. Turning a corner, she heads in the opposite direction, deeper into the maze of alleyways.

And then she yells after him, "If you need my number, ask one of your pals!"

Oh yes. At least two members of SEES have Niko's number. But who are they? Niko's not telling - she's gone, and not going to be found so easily again. No, this is another fun game she's playing. Care to play, Reiya-chan~?
</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 1]]

2026-01-03: All The World's a Stage

2026-01-09T00:12:28Z

Fureasei: Created page with "*'''Log: All The World's a Stage''' *'''Cast:''' Noriaki Okaga, Niko Kirisaki *'''Where:''' Strega Warehouse Hideout - Tatsumi Port Island *'''OOC Date:''' January 03, 2026 *'''IC Date:''' September 04, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''Niko prepares to remove an interloper crashing on Strega's turf, only to learn it's Noriaki Okaga, a long-time member she hadn't met yet. While the casual observer might not see much in common between the two, they manage to see eye-to-eye w..."

*'''Log: All The World's a Stage'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Noriaki Okaga]], [[Niko Kirisaki]]
*'''Where:''' Strega Warehouse Hideout - Tatsumi Port Island
*'''OOC Date:''' January 03, 2026
*'''IC Date:''' September 04, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Niko prepares to remove an interloper crashing on Strega's turf, only to learn it's Noriaki Okaga, a long-time member she hadn't met yet. While the casual observer might not see much in common between the two, they manage to see eye-to-eye well enough, on certain matters. Such as getting up in SEES's business, which sees Noriaki accepting Niko's offer to join the attack on their dorm.''

----

<Pose Tracker> Noriaki Okaga has posed.
<poem>
Perhaps someday, someone will decide to purchase the land under the abandoned warehouse and knock the whole thing down.

If that should come to pass, of course, there will be a reckoning-- for the people who would theoretically buy the land and demolish the warehouse, that is.

Yet, fortunately for the sake of the theoretical buyers' wellbeing and continued breathing, the economy remains in a slump, and the warehouse remains standing, and so the itinerants who use it as shelter continue to be able to do so. Which is to say--

In a corner of the warehouse there is a particular pile of blankets and other assorted 'comfortable' scraps. It's a makeshift bed, though one that usually goes unoccupied. Today, though, this is not so. A young man, tall enough that his limbs sprawl a little bit past the confines of his 'nest', lies in it. He's in an ungainly position, more or less on his back, and he's snoring softly.

Draped across his face is an opened celebrity gossip magazine.

Maybe Niko's heard of him. Noriaki Okaga. He's a member of Strega, too, though one who often attends to his own business around Port Island (and sometimes a littler further afield) when he's not doing 'work' for Jin. As if to testify for that work... a chipped and beat-up machete lies just to the outside of the makeshift bedding, just within reach.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Niko has not thought about the warehouse suddenly no longer being there as a concern in the slightest. Members of Strega have set up makeshift furniture all over the place according to need or taste, and Jin's even got a whole setup of Computer Stuff installed. Obviously that's all it takes to make it belong to them. If someone ever has a problem with that...

Well, Niko will certainly be at the front of the line if it's time to change the minds of some fools, the hard way. As long as it doesn't go beyond breaking limbs and such, anyway. She leaves the actual killing to those who enjoy that more, having stated that she's 'not into that'.

Other than that, Strega's junior member has been eager enough to provide extra muscle where it's needed, mostly off doing her own thing otherwise. Sometimes she makes use of a sleeping bag at the warehouse, but today, Niko arrives from outside, silently opening the side door, pausing to listen...

...No computer fan or typing noises. Doesn't sound like Jin is here, then. That being the case, there's nobody she cares about spooking by sneaking up on them, so stops being particularly stealthy about her entry.

She's always wondered about that pile in the corner. Seemed just organized enough to not be just junk that was randomly left there. She had also not guessed it was supposed to be a bed, and still isn't entirely convinced when she finds someone sleeping there. Now who could that be?

Honestly, it doesn't matter much to Niko. It's Something New, so it naturally draws her attention. Casually loafing over to that corner, there's no immediate recognition, and so her first words are, "Who do we have here? Wakey wakey~"

That's the first attempt. If there needs to be a second, it will come in the form of a kick to the 'bed'. No regard for a man's rest, nor the nearby weapon at all. That's Niko in a nutshell, if she wants something, she'll just keep getting more insistent about it until she gets what she wants. No one has yet found an effective strategy to ignoring her.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Noriaki Okaga has posed.
<poem>
If someone has a problem with the warehouse being here, it'll be a simple matter to make them change their minds, or otherwise regret having anything to do with the warehouse whatsoever. But, suffice to say--

The rather casual nature of their squatting does mean that it's possible to be in and out of the space without the other necessarily noticing. Technically speaking, Noriaki's aware that they picked up someone else in their merry little band, some girl of some stripe or another. But have they ever met?

No, they have not.

The occupant stirs when she calls out to them, grumbling in some semi-awake state to tug the magazine more firmly over their face. This attempt at continuing to slumber is shortlived.

Because Niko kicks the 'bed', and in a flash, Noriaki tumbles up out of the nest of bedding, discarding the magazine as he moves. He snatches up the machete as he closes on Niko, brandishing its chipped edge her way. "Who the hell are you?" he asks moments later, the weapon still jabbed generally into her personal space (but still well short of her body).

With his hoodie down, Noriaki's face is on display. He has messy black hair, to match his equally messy short beard. Irritation shines in his grey eyes. He is also quite unhealthily pale, with dark circles under his eyes in spite of his recently-interrupted slumber.

"...You the kid, then?" He jabs the machete vaguely towards her, as if to make a point rather than actually cut her. "Ain't anyone ever told you, leave sleepin' dogs lie?" He drops the weapon back again after that, rolling his shoulders with a crack that's echoed by a chorus from his upper back as he straightens out of his slouch. "And I was havin' a nice dream for a change, too..."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Likewise, Niko is vaguely aware that Strega has more members than just the ones she commonly sees around. Jin's been the most frequent target of her attention, simply by virtue of being in the same place most often. Not that Niko is a nuisance, of course, she's just showing him other ways to have fun! She's doing him a favor, really. But, this Noriaki character...

Well, she has no idea what to expect from him. Or that it is him, really. She just likes to do things and see what happens. Case in point, let's kick the bed of this sleeping dude and see what happens!

And what happens is, she gets a machete pointed at her. The fact that Niko didn't react to this at all, and in fact keeps smiling the entire time as she watches the reaction she's prompted... she must be particularly fearless. Either that, or she's just too stupid to know when to be afraid. Whatever the case may be, she is far too cheerful for this situation, all too happy to answer that question.

"I am the great Niko-chan, ruler of this domain!"

...Right. Maybe edging a little more towards the 'stupid' side of that equation. Though maybe the frankly insane physique she has going on helps to give her the confidence of being able to handle anything that comes her way.

It's not until Noriaki addresses her as 'the kid' that she scrunches up her face in thought. "Huuuh... you saying you're a member, not just some random hobo man? Cool knife by the way. Bigger than mine, but mine's shinier."

Putting it away only makes her adopt an even more casual stance, arms folded behind her head. "Sure, people have told me that. You're not one of those though. And sometimes it's funny to wake dogs up, too." She shrugs in an extremely exaggerated motion before lowering her arms back down. "How was I supposed to know, anyway? Haven't seen you around here at all, ever. Really, you should praise me! Look at me, all alert and ready to kick out the armed intruder, no fear. Impressive, right? Aren't you impressed?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Noriaki Okaga has posed.
<poem>
It's the sort of approach that Noriaki, himself, would approve of--

--when it's not him being the one poked and prodded.

Even half-asleep, he's able to note well how much she ''doesn't'' react. That tells him all he needs to know, which is to say, she's definitely the kid they picked up back in May. The others would reacted much the same way she had, if without the smiling. Hell, Niko's positively a barrel of sunshine by comparison!

It's just the kind of 'happy family' they all are.

"Eh? Ruler? I don't see a crown," he tells her, shaking his head as if to shuck off what remnants of sleep cling to him. He gestures with his free hand, as if to encompass all of her. "What're you talking about?"

So he's a member, not some random hobo looking for a place to crash? "Ha! No!" he tells her, his mouth twisting into an expression that's about one part grimace and two parts amusement. "Anyone comin' in here who don't belong? They're as good as dead," he says, swinging his machete around casually to his right. "But yeah. I'm a member. Been around, hell... far too long, now." He closes his eyes a moment. His mouth twitches. Then, reopening his eyes, he outright grins. "So... they show you the ropes yet, newbie? Guess you'd hafta been, if you've worked any."

He rubs his chin with his left hand as she goes on, as if appraising her. "Seems like it ain't sunk in any," he tells her, shrugging. "Well, whatever. You want me up, you got me up, for all ''that's'' worth." That grin of his widens as she says she wants some praise! Look at her all ready to kick ass and chew bubblegum, and she's all out of bubblegum. "By kickin' 'em right outta bed, eh? You owe me one for that missed nap, kiddo. And that dream." But what form would that take?
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
This is what Niko brings to the table, some much needed cheer! You'd think Jin and Chidori were incapable of smiling sometimes, but she knows better. It's all in the approach. And the persistence. And setting the right example, of course. She smiles a whole lot more often than not, even in wholly inappropriate situations like this.

A 'happy family', indeed. That's exactly what she wants this to be.

Prompted for a crown, she looks dubious. "What, are you blind? It's right there!" Her hands go to her head, eyes widening as she feels around, then proclaiming with a shocked expression, "Oh no, it's gone!" She lets out a giggle before stating the obvious. "Just kidding~"

That bit of fun doesn't matter anymore once she's learned she's dealing with a member. She's only a ruler of this place as far as outsiders go. She might even also go so far as to say 'they're as good as dead', though she wouldn't mean it literally. They'd get off easy if it was Niko, she'd hurt them, but at least she wouldn't kill them.

Has she been shown the ropes? "Yeah, I know what's up," is her simple response to that, leaving the exact meaning open to interpretation. She at least knows what's up where it comes to grinning, she can do that as well as Noriaki can. Probably a bit more pleasantly, most of the time.

But he still hasn't told her who he is, exactly! She could ask, but she decides to search her memory first, instead. She's heard a name that goes with this guy's looks, she's pretty sure. She takes a moment to massage her temples, making what she'd describe as 'thinking noises', before... "Ah!" A single finger is raised. "Then you must be... Nori-chan!" And straight she goes to what's usual for her, did not bother saying his full name even once.

She looks so proud of herself for remembering. Almost as proud as she looks about having kicked him out of bed. Did she somehow interpret his words as the praise she was after, or what? "Weeeell, how about I offer you some payback, then? Kick a whole bunch of people outta bed? If you can't sleep, nobody can, that sorta thing? That sound interesting?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Noriaki Okaga has posed.
<poem>
Noriaki, himself, often smiles in inappropriate situations. Like when he's trying to kill someone. Or when he's digging into a particularly juicy bit of nasty gossip on social media, but you didn't hear that from him and if you saw him do it, no you didn't.

Is he blind? Her crown's right there? "Must've lost it," he suggests, only for her shocked 'realization' that she 'lost' her crown to follow.

He actually chuckles at that. "Heh, not bad, kiddo," he tells her, spreading his arms wide, as if to indicate the whole space around him. "Keep it up, and you'll be a top-line actor in no time...!"

All the world's a stage, and all the people in it, merely actors.

"Right, right. Well, keep on it," he tells her, only to shrug. "Or don't. I ain't your boss." As long as she's having fun. Or earning her keep. Either way, if she's in with them, she won't be getting around with clean hands, and that's the only part that matters to Noriaki.

He hasn't told her his name yet, in much the same way that he ''thinks'' he knows her name. Miko? Kiko? But alas, this lapse costs him more than he realizes. When she calls him 'Nori-chan', that grin of his falters. "Hey, hey, none of this -chan shit," he says, waving his hand through the air as if to 'X' it out. "Name's Noriaki Okaga, if they ain't told you. We can be buddies and shit, but you gotta play nice with me. Got it, girly?"

There's a long pause.

"What's your name again? Riko?"

How about some payback directed someone else's way, Niko suggests. Like kicking a whole bunch of people out of bed, maybe? "I'm listenin'," he tells her, tilting his head. His grey eyes narrow, but there's something pleasantly grim about the smile he's wearing, like he's already thinking about a few choice subjects to suffer thus already.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Smiling is just the best policy all around! Niko isn't going to judge anyone for that, no matter what it is they're smiling at. It means they're happy, after all. That's all she wants, for everyone to be happy and get along. Don't question her methods in making that happen, they make perfect sense. To her. And that's what matters.

One good tactic for making people smile, she just demonstrated. Put on an act, make a little joke, bam, instead appreciation. Works every time. Okay not every time, but it worked well enough this time. She takes a bow as appropriate. Okay, way more elaborate a bow than appropriate. "Thank you, thank you. I try my best!"

Indeed... she's well aware of the world's nature. Everyone has their part to play. It's only when people fail to play their part that there has to be... trouble.

Regardless, she does appear to be having fun pretty much all the time, manages to make ends meet well enough with her contributions, and enjoys the freedom she has to do as she likes. "You sure ain't," she thus pleasantly agrees with Noriaki's assessment that he's not her boss. She's perfectly happy to volunteer for the jobs that interest her, and leave what isn't her cup of tea to the others.

But is also seems easy to make her ''un''happy, given the way her expression falls when the -chan address is denied. "Awww, c'mon. It's how you show you're friends! Don't you want to be friends?" Evidently he's alright with being 'buddies and shit'. Well, in that case... "...just 'Nori' then? How about Nori-kun?" Yeah, she got it, totally.

Of course, she is ''more'' than happy to be paid back in kind. In fact insisting, "I saaaaid, I am the great Niko-chan! Ni. Ko. Chan~ Go on, go on, say it." As a complete afterthought, she adds, "Last name Kirisaki, but don't call me that, that's not what friends are supposed to do."

Now though, they're getting to the interesting part. Niko grins as she catches the interest in Noriaki's expression. "You know SEES, right, the meddlers, messing with all the shit they don't understand? A week from now, we're gonna give them a real big wake-up call, kick down their door and show 'em what Strega's all about. You want in on that?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Noriaki Okaga has posed.
<poem>
If there's one thing that Noriaki appreciates, it's a little semi-malicious people-watching. Schadenfreude? Why, thank you kindly.

He'd have even mock-clapped if he weren't still holding his machete in his right hand. Alas, the sacrifices he makes sometimes.

He's sure not her boss. He laughs at that, almost sepulchral, especially when it's punctuated by the brief coughing fit. "Eh," he says, as he recovers his breath, waving a dismissive hand. "Don't worry about it."

He's just dying, is all.

How about Nori-kun?

With his face no longer half in shadow, Niko's able to see the way he's ''thinking'' this one over carefully.

Ultimately, he shrugs.

"Ehhh, knock yourself out, kiddo," he says. 'Chan' is over the line, but 'kun', despite the fact that he's (probably?) the elder of the two, isn't. Who can say why. Maybe he's just seeing what he's willing to tolerate and this is it.

Besides, she might try something worse than this.

"Niko. Right, right," he says, offering for her consideration the most insouciant shrug imaginable. "Kirisaki, eh? Nice. Well, Niko-kun," he's giving her shit now, isn't he, "good gettin' your name proper and all that! Heh heh, like a smile that cuts ya apart..."

Well, that's certainly ''a'' way to interpret her name.

"SEES?"

That's got his attention. "Yeah, I know 'em. Messed up some personal business 'bout a week ago." He wobbles his free hand as if to say it's no matter at all. "Got a robot with 'em, too! Some piece of, eh, Kirijo tech, by the looks of her." That smile twists into a scowl. "Pain in the ass. Well, if you're goin' to knock down their door some... count me in." He swings that machete up, resting it against his shoulder. "I gotta bone to pick with 'em after that business, and I got the free time to do it in!"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
That was some cough, one can see Niko think, so the 'don't worry about it' was justified. Niko indeed seems to not worry about it, when so prompted.

The thing about Niko is, she's more perceptive than she looks, and acts, most of the time. She may not be worrying about it now, but she highly suspects that there is in fact is something to worry about. Niko will remember that.

For the time being though... Niko seems wholly mollified by the -kun agreement, smiling brightly when told to knock herself out with that one. Yes, Noriaki is absolutely older than her - it would be hard to believe that face of hers doesn't belong to a teenager, even if teenagers don't generally have a body like that. They all have their, likely similar, stories. Perhaps hers also goes some way to explain why she acts the way she does, not caring about the age or seniority factors here in the slightest.

"Nice, compromise, I can dig it. Glad you're not as much of a sourpuss as Jin-chan used to be."

That 'used to' may be a chilling prospect. Make no mistake, Jin is absolutely still a sourpuss... most of the time. But Niko's managed to grow on him, to the point where though he may deny it, she can clearly see he's nicer to her than before. He's already stopped correcting her 'Jin-chan's, and even called her Niko-chan one time! It was to make a point to someone, but still, it counts.

What matters is that Niko is ''very'' persistent, where it comes to getting her way. There is no way that Noriaki has escaped his fate this easily. One day, when he least expects it, the -chan shall return.

Perhaps sooner than he thinks, if he insists on messing with her like that. "Ha! Ha ha! Oh, I see what you're doing, you're being ''funny''! Well, do remember that I can be ''very'' funny myself, Nori-kun~" Oh, she laughs, and her demeanor is perfectly pleasant. But that was a warning. Better not try to -kun her in public, if he doesn't want to be -channed in response.

But she keeps it at that. They're all friends here, after all. Even if she failed to understand the quip about her name, interpreting it as some kind of poetry. Which is actually a point in his favor, she likes poetry herself.

Noriaki then provides some very interesting information of his own. "A robot? Kirijo tech you say..." Well, all in all, it shouldn't be surprising that the name 'Kirijo' alone would be of interest to her. But, that's for later worry. For now, once Noriaki confirms his interest...

"'kay, then by the authority given to me by Takaya-sama, I now pronounce you part of the team!" She looks ''real'' proud now, rubbing a finger under her nose. "That's right, I'm making the calls for this one, Takaya-sama let me decide how we're doing this." Oh sure, ''he'' gets a ''-sama''. She rubs her hands together. "Things're getting exciting now! Got a big team going, they won't know what hit 'em!"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Noriaki Okaga has posed.
<poem>
It's the same with all of them, more or less. --Well, possibly not Niko. But it's just that at the ripe old age of 23, Noriaki's got one foot in the grave.

He says not to worry about it, just because there's not anything as far as he's aware that can be done. He's dying, he'll die sooner than he'll like, just like all of them experiments. The best he can do is see how many people he can take down with him.

Despite the character in his last name, this is not a 'hill' he'd care to die on. 'Chan' is right out, but -kun, hell, he'll take -kun. It's not like society's rules really apply to the ones it chewed up and cast away. ...He's just got his own limits, is all.

"He's got a stick up his ass," Noriaki says, of Jin, "but he's there when it counts. Better'n most people." He shrugs. "Everyone's got their issues. Except me. I'm a delight!" And the fact that he punctuates that with a cackle suggests he doesn't think ''that's'' true, either. "But, wait, he lets you call him 'Jin-chan?'" That laugh of his comes back for a second round.

Meanwhile, he's learning that his little ha-ha at her expense won't be so tolerated so well at all. "Yeah? Makes two of us, don't it?" he says in rejoinder, his lips splitting into a nasty grin. "Treat me right and I'll treat you right, or somethin' like that." He shrugs. "Or don't, and we can keep on playin'!"

But in one thing in particular, they're both friends. Better friends than enemies, when they've got enemies enough at the gate.

If anyone has a connection to Kirijo, they're definitely Noriaki's enemies.

"Yeah, a fuckin' robot," he says, with a nod for emphasis. "Metal, up on two legs, armed to the teeth, and all of that shit. Like somethin' outta a comic book," he adds, gesturing vaguely with his left hand. "Even has a Persona, if you can believe it! Makes you wonder what else they've got hidden out back. A tank? ...A nuclear warhead, even?"

Now that he's expressed his interest, though--

"Heh, just like that? Well, well." He grins at Niko. "Look at Sakaki go! Guess with all that shit turnin' up lately, we've gotta stop messin' around... So, what, we getting the whole team out, or close to it?" He knows the core trio and Niko, and then there's that other mysterious guy out there...

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
If Niko is concerned about death, whether her own or other people's, she's given little indication of it. But then, being so preoccupied with having fun, you can't expect her to just bring that up out of nowhere.

Honorifics, now, those she could keep arguing about forever, if things don't go her way on that. It's clearly ''very'' important to be as friendly as possible, or as friendly as people let you be, anyway. She's had worse collisions than the one she had with Noriaki, so this went alright, in her view. And he's a delight without any issues, even! "That's great, happy to hear it!" That sounded so sincere, did she actually buy it?

She only has one objection. "Hey, c'mon, no picking on Jin-ch... Jin. He's nice once you get to know him." Just single-handedly ruining his entire image here, and she doesn't even realize it. Only that she slipped up a bit addressing him like that in casual conversation, she does know he doesn't actually ''like'' it when she calls him that. Doesn't stop her from doing it, but she isn't actually out to upset him. It's complicated! It shouldn't be, but it is.

Best to just move on from that. "I do like playin'," she adds, with a weirdly serious edge to her voice, "But the game's got to be fun. That's the whole point! So, let's be sure to have fun, alright?" Last thing she wants is end up ''not'' being friends over something dumb. She seems to have simple worries, but she does worry about things.

"Aw man... a Persona robot? I want one." And now, another thing has caught her interest. Robots are real. Obviously she has to know how that works. And hey, stealing one from Kirijo would be like two birds with one stone, wouldn't it?

As for the team, she scratches her head. "Eh... not sure I can get Chidori to care about it. But I'm sure Ojisan'll be up for it." There's an awkward pause, before Niko realizes she's talking to someone who's never heard her of speak of the guy like that before. "...y'know, the Joker Killer? He's cool." Obviously he is, if that's what she calls him.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Noriaki Okaga has posed.
<poem>
Did she buy it? He looks a little bemused, if just for the moment. Then, being himself, he shrugs. Not worth getting all that much into it, perhaps he's thinking.

He waves his free hand dismissively. "Eh, nah, I ain't bugging that guy. He's got all that," he mimes tapping on a keyboard, "you know? Besides, he's guy runnin' regular work. You know. He points, I take 'em out! I ain't messin' with what works!" Jin gives him money, which means he gets to eat and have a phone, and he's got a place to sleep, assuming he feels like coming back around this place to do that. It's practically paradise compared to how things used to be for him.

It's not as cold in here as it is out there in the winter, though it's a bit stifling in the summer. But so it goes.

"Yeah, yeah," he says, closing his eyes and shrugging. "It ain't like we've got time to waste messing about with stuff that ain't worth it... So, sure, I getcha." He has half-cracked one eye, though, to eye Niko a moment. Hmm.

"Ha, I bet you do," he says, his smile widening. "A thing like that, though... don't forget, it's the enemy. Even if we dragged her back here, I don't think we can make her do what we want." He shrugs. "Kirijo shit's always like that. Got backup plans in backup plans. Just when you think you've got 'em cornered, no you ain't."

And that's when they get you.

"Yoshino? Knowing her, she might be watchin' from here or," he wiggles his fingers, "whatever she does. Ojisan?" There's a pause. "Oh. ''That'' guy. Yeah. Ain't met him like, but I know who he is. You think he'll show up with us? Heard he can drag out demons and the like. I got a little trick like that, kinda, but..." He shrugs. "I'll save it for if we gotta make a quick exit, maybe."

It's not like he can control the Shadows he 'calls'.

"Anyway," he says, swinging his machete off his shoulder and tossing it to the floor, "If we're doin' that soon..." He drops back down onto his makeshift bed. "I'm gonna get some shuteye in while I still can." Like what, the entire week? "Gotta prepare, right? Don't wanna go at Kirijo half-assed."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Niko nods along as Noriaki extols the virtues of Jin. No arguments from her there. "Totally, totally. Lucky we've got him around, he actually likes doing all the boring stuff." Not... exactly all she appreciates him for, but she does have a habit of only mentioning what she sees as immediately relevant. Doesn't make it any less true, makes it easy for her to get jobs when all she has to do is raise her hand when he brings something interesting to her attention. Besides. She too likes to make the most of her time.

The additional details Noriaki adds about the Kirijo robot though, that visibly bums her out a little bit. "Oh, it's like that, like, with a personality? You said it was a robot, should've said 'android' then. There's a difference, y'know." Now she's some kind of robo-expert?! (no) "Oh well. If all it's good for is fighting, then I guess I'll settle for that."

She gets more animated when talking about the Joker Killer. "Yeah dude, totally! It's one of them two-way deals - we just kinda ask each other when we're about to do something big, and if we're free and feel like it, we get involved in the other guy's thing. And when he does his thing, we can use our Personas whenever we want, super convenient. You might not get what he's talking about at first, but trust me, he legit knows his stuff." There's almost certainly a reason for her being so enthusiastic about him. She's not volunteering what's going on there.

She just kind of stares blankly when Noriaki drops back down to bed. Didn't he just finish sleeping? Oh wait--

"Ah shit, that's right, woke you up early. Sorry, sorry, I'll get outta your hair." Wow, she actually apologized for that! Better late than never. With a fingergun gesture, she gives the only sensible parting greeting, before turning on a heel and making her way back out.

"Good luck getting back to full-assed!"
</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 1]]

2025-12-27: A Failure to Communicate

2026-01-09T00:09:47Z

Fureasei: Created page with "*'''Log: A Failure to Communicate''' *'''Cast:''' Niko Kirisaki, Kurou Ryouhara *'''Where:''' Ruins of Club Harai, Yumezaki Ward, Sumaru City *'''OOC Date:''' December 27, 2025 *'''IC Date:''' September 01, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''Concerned by the lack of response from Kurou after the destruction of his favorite nightclub, Niko goes to investigate. Only to find him right there, doing an investigation of his own. New similarities and differences are discovered duri..."

*'''Log: A Failure to Communicate'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Niko Kirisaki]], [[Kurou Ryouhara]]
*'''Where:''' Ruins of Club Harai, Yumezaki Ward, Sumaru City
*'''OOC Date:''' December 27, 2025
*'''IC Date:''' September 01, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Concerned by the lack of response from Kurou after the destruction of his favorite nightclub, Niko goes to investigate. Only to find him right there, doing an investigation of his own. New similarities and differences are discovered during the ensuing conversation, yet even though their feelings on the Joker Killer differ greatly, for the time being, they manage to reach an understanding. Of sorts. It makes sense to them, anyway.''

----

(|============================= Yumezaki - Main ==============================|)
-=============================================== Sumaru City/Yumezaki Ward ====-
With a name that means "Dream Peninsula," it's no wonder that the glitziest part
of the city is Yumezaki. All kinds of fun and exciting business can be found
here, up to and including a game center (or is it a casino?) called Mu
Continent, where rumor has it one can potentially win big at slots, bingo,
poker, or blackjack. Pachinko Silver is right next door if one wants one's
gambling activities to be a little more subtle.

Across from Mu Continent, there's Club Zodiac, a techno dance club where the
boots are always bumping--but rumor has it the back is a maze that will lead you
to some very dangerous places... To be specific, supposedly it was bought out by
the Taiwanese mafia and is now their hideout. It's best not to pay too much mind
to those kinds of tales, though--or else.

The ward also includes a robust multi-story music store and an impressive gym.
Oddly, the music store, NOT the gym, is called Giga Macho. The gym, which is
bright, clean, and amply furnished with all kinds of equipment, is called GOLD.
Nearby, the shopping street, Yumezaki Center, invites spendthrifts and window
shoppers alike to browse its indoor and outdoor stores.

BGM: Map I - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0B_2vwPcxc

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Niko Kirisaki is not exactly the kind to stay very much on top of Current Events. It took a few days before she learned about the events at Club Harai, and even then she only heard it through the grapevine in the club scene. It's not like she'd ever been, so it ordinarily wouldn't have elicited much of a reaction from her. What's one club more or less?

Indeed, it wouldn't have mattered at all... were it not for the fact that a friend had mentioned it to her before. Niko may have a selective memory, but she absolutely remembers what interesting people have said to her. So she remembers clearly that Kurou Ryouhara mentioned that club is where he went most often.

Feeling like she should say something, she thus sent him an immediate text message.

''hey dude heard bout harai, sucks that happened. if u wanna talk, come 2 escapade & we'll hang''

No response. That's fine, other things on his mind than partying probably. Nothing to worry about.

Then Niko learned more of the details of what happened. The extent of the devastation. The involvement of the Joker Killer. A few days later, there's another message.

''hey, u ok? u were not there were u? plz reply''

That's about as much patience as Niko has. When there still isn't any reply a few days after that, she feels that it's time to take action.

''ok thats it going to harai & find out what happened. better not be dead. if you are i swear ill nevre talk to you again''

She won't be dissuaded by a message at that point. Now Niko's become Invested, so she's going over there and get to the bottom of things even if she were to get a response this time.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
<poem>
Little is known about Kurou Ryouhara, and Niko already knows more than most despite how little that already seems. He is aware during the Dark Hour. He likes to stare at pieces of nature. He goes to nightclubs. He said he's a fan of Harai... the same Harai that burnt down.

Kurou is also terrible at texting.

Usually that means poor responses. Following the fire, it meant ''no responses''. Not even strange emoticon and image choices.

She invites him to hang out. Nothing.

She asks if he's okay. Silence.

Days pass. A message comes, and receives no reply.

And then... a threat.

This is the first message that gets a notification that the receiver on the other end actually ''read'' it, but it's too late.

What remains of Harai is mostly rubble. It was a long burning fire, and one with toxic fumes that made it all the more dangerous to tackle. Needless to say, no one but professional services are permitted to be anywhere near the site of the crime... but that only matters if one respects the rules of law. Cones and tape make poor obstacles at the end of the day.

Kurou kneels within one of the few pieces that still has a roof structure overhead, smeared in soot stains and staring at his phone. He stares at it with a blank blink, thumb hovering over the digital keyboard, but not a single character attempted.

For all her efforts, Niko is rewarded with the ability to physically ''see'' Kurou failing to respond in real time.

</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
There is a vast difference between hearing about a place being totalled and actually seeing it firsthand. Again, not something she'd usually care much about. There was a building here; it's gone now. Big deal, it's just a building.

It actually ''would'' matter if it turned out that Kurou had been there when the building came down. One would think that'd put him in the hospital at best, at worst... there would be one less interesting person in this world. What a waste that would be, there aren't enough of those to begin with.

From Niko's perspective, what she's learned about Kurou Ryouhara is indeed very little, and not nearly enough. What matters is: he's weird. Someone who doesn't fit in. But to what degree? And what happened to make him this way? People like that make for fascinating puzzles. She'd hate for one to go unsolved. So yes, he'd better not be dead. There wouldn't even be any point to the puzzle anymore.

When she came here, she didn't have much of a plan. She's hardly a professional investigator, she wouldn't know where to even start looking for evidence that Kurou was or was not there at the time. Her best bet would be talking to people who happen to be in the area, see if they know anything. ...Except even that meager excuse for a plan goes out the window, once she arrives on the scene, and immediately encounters a familiar-looking figure, hunched over something as usual.

"...Hey."

So Niko announces herself, letting Kurou know she's there before she approaches. So he has a moment to stand up and/or look over to her if he likes. Before a fist plants down on his head, firmly enough to hurt, even though it couldn't be called a punch. More like a particularly fierce noogie.

"Dumbass. The hell are you doing? Forget how your phone works? Or you just like worrying folks? Eh?"

It's not so much anger as it is exasperation. She just does NOT get this guy. Which is what makes him interesting, yes, but at times like this, it's also extremely frustrating.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
<poem>
It's for the best Niko didn't bother asking. Kurou is often one who travels unseen and unnoticed. Has she ever noticed how little sound his footsteps make, even when they ought to? He should be more careful about when he employs that. Someone might notice, and think it implies something that Kurou himself does not know how to turn the instinct off.

Unfortunately, that doesn't do much to help solve the puzzle of Kurou, either.

"Oh," Kurou says blankly to Niko's voice. He draws his gold eyes up from his phone to blink directly at her. "Niko-chan." He looks back down at his phone, then up once more, debating for a moment whether or not responding makes sense anymore.

Slowly, he pulls up to his feet, only to find himself AMBUSHED?! Kurou flinches, going still, and his eyes only a fraction wider as he experiences Niko's wrath (''exasperation'') in physical form.

He gingerly rubs at his head as he stares back at her, and puts his phone away. The Niko of 'now' has successfully commanded Kurou's full attention away from the Niko and her words of the past few days held in his texts. For someone who looks for interesting people, perhaps she might find one looking in a mirror.

"... My apologies," he finally manages. "It was not my intent to worry you. I... was unfocused. And... things like 'okay' or 'not dead' are not... easy lies to tell."

Perhaps he could be forgiven for the first one -- if not by present company, than maybe someone in the world. But he even says the second one with a straight face, despite standing and breathing right in front of Niko right now.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Tell Niko about it, it scared her half to death when Kurou was just suddenly there behind her, that time at Escapade. Granted that had the double effect of her not having suspected he'd be able to move in the Dark Hour, but geez, why would you do that? That's a question she's realizing more and more she should just forget about asking Kurou. Better to just skip straight to telling him not to do that and hope he takes it to heart.

After she bothered to learn that much already, being dead would just be poor manners. Such a waste of effort it would've been then, totally rude to her. Can't expect him to get that though, he already doesn't seem to get basic manners like responding to texts reasonably promptly. Couldn't be Niko, if she failed to respond to a text for that long she probably ''would'' be dead. Obviously everyone else should be held to the same standard.

...She's glad he's still calling her Niko-chan, but he can't Niko-chan his way out of being noogied for this. He'd better have a good explanation!

"...What." Evidently that was not a very good explanation, if the deadpan reaction is any indication. "Okay first of all," she raises a finger, "Nobody said I was worried." Technically correct, even though she totally was, and basically admitted it. A second finger raises. "And two... what the fuck." She pauses just long enough to make it seem like that was all she was going to say, before she adds, "You're clearly alive." She won't argue the 'okay'. But that part, she's pretty sure about.

And she'll prove it. By pinching his cheeks. Hard. "How's that? Hurts, don't it? That's how you know you're alive."

That done, she crosses her arms, demanding, "Now tell me what happened. Don't think we're gonna get anywhere until I know all the deets here. You can start by telling me if you were here when this all went down. And you can end by telling me why you're here now, rooting around in the rubble."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
<poem>
Kurou Ryouhara has, unfortunately, proven to be an ill mannered boy. Niko's right to be concerned he'd be impolite enough to die on her. He's claiming to already be dead as it is! See? Rude. Is that his justification for staring off into the void like he doesn't belong among the living?

But what else should he call Niko-chan but Niko-chan? That's what she said to call her. Kurou's mind is a simple place. Yet even Kurou, in all his social ineptitude, can see that his explanation was not satisfactory. A lecture is beginning, and Kurou straightens himself upright and gives Niko his full attention, nodding slightly in an attempt to show that he's listening.

"I see," Kurou says of the first point. "I misunderstood." For indeed, she only said worrying folks, not worrying Nikos...

But the ''second''...

Kurou tilts his head to one side like a confused dog hoping the sound will hit better at a new angle. What about his explanation was fucked? Oh. He's alive. Kurou regards her for a long time in silence... only to get his cheek pinched. Kurou does not flinch or pull away. He does not even wince.

"... It does hurt," he confirms, despite that.

He rubs his thumb over one of his cheeks afterward, eyes losing their focus. Pain to remind you that you're alive... That... isn't unsound logic. But... no. It's not something he can explain to her further. Or to anyone.

Slowly, his pupils find Niko again among the rubble and among the pain (in his cheek). He lowers his hand.

"I was not here. But someone... important to me was. Family." Pain crinkles in Kurou's eyes with this a way they did not when Niko gave his cheeks a fierce pinch, but they return to neutral soon enough. ''Family.'' Does he have the right to think of it that way? Yet, he does. "I wanted to see if there was any evidence of what happened. And who did this. Or... who else might be searching and lingering."

He turns to look over what's now a field of rubble. "Though... I suspect the one who did this is not the kind to leave evidence. He did not at Shujin, either."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Can't be all rude if he remembers her preferred mode of address and sticks to it, as far as Niko's concerned. It's not that cut and dry to her, it means a lot when people actually address her the way she aggressively requests, and even more when they keep that friendly mode of address going no matter the circumstances. Silly her for thinking everyone realizes the significance, she really should know better than to expect that from ''Kurou''. This might be a case of choosing to believe what she'd prefer to believe.

Still, a lecture is deserved, so a lecture is given. Does he get it, after that? Bit of a weird expression, following that cheek-pinching. She can't be entirely sure he got it.

"...Look. This world is fucked up, I know. Stuff happens that shouldn't be happening, pretty much all the time. But this is our reality, right now. As long as you can feel, either this." She briefly pinches her own cheek. "Or this." She thumps her chest with her fist. "You're alive. You're real, and you're present. Don't doubt that."

Granted, she's not sure if she read that right. That it might be something that Kurou needs to hear. But sometimes it's worth it to just say things, that you wouldn't say to 'normal' people, and judge the reaction. See if it's anything like yours would have been, if someone said that to you back when you needed to hear it.

Niko's demeanor may have started off a little harsh, but it instantly melts away, visibly, as soon as she hears the word 'family'. Her eyes widen, and a hand goes to her mouth as she listens to the rest of what he says, slowly melting back into a more neutral expression, hand dropping back down to her side.

"...Shit," she eloquently begins. "Sorry man, I didn't know. Are they alright?"

That's the easy part. Now it gets more complicated. Since she knows who did this. And she suspects it might be wise not to tell Kurou how closely she does. Not until she finds out more.

"You're talking about the Joker Killer," she begins, conversationally enough. "That's the rumor. Of who did it, I mean. I know the Joker Killer is a real thing that exists. You planning on going after him, or what?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
<poem>
Unfortunately, Kurou's dampened demeanor is not a great indication of what he does and does not end up internalizing. Yet the mind does strive to absorb everything he is told, for better or worse.

Indeed: perhaps this is why he is drawn to Niko, Kurou is thinking. She understands the truth of this world better than most, and yet she is still so... Niko-chan in the way she chooses to navigate it. There is a wisdom in that he is not keen to turn away, and like a poorly acted ghost mirror, he repeats Niko's action as she speaks via only a touch to his own cheek, and a touch of his ring finger to his heart.

Yet the way his gaze wanders off suggests doubt.

"Perhaps... 'alive' and 'living' are different things," he muses quietly. Kurou slowly shakes his head and looks to Niko. "No. I will remember what you said."

Even Shiryuu had wanted him to not throw his own life away, even if only bones of it are left.

Are they alright, Niko asks? Kurou is quiet a few seconds too long. Even Niko, who did not know Shiryuu, is able to react with emotion where Kurou's stare remains that empty, dead thing. ... But it still hurts, right? So, Kurou himself, at least, is alive, right...?

"I hope so," he says, finally. "I... do not know what I would do without them."

That may be more literally true than the statement usually implies, given Kurou seemed to forget how to answer a god damn phone. But regardless, there are those who have already acted as if Shiryuu is dead, and Kurou must operate under that reality for now, no matter how much it gnaws at his heart -- which still beats, despite everything.

Niko already knows about the Joker Killer, and believes in his existence. That makes this easier.

"I know. The scent of his blood was real enough," Kurou says, fingers idly brushing against his own chin. There's no need to go after someone he's already encountered.

"But further engagement would be foolish. I am not sure the Joker Killer can die."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Oh. That one hurt to hear. That perspective of 'alive' and 'living' being different things. Worse still, Niko can't think of anything to say in response to that. She wouldn't be able to hook that into the picture she just painted, in regards to one's worldview. If she were perfectly honest, she'd have to say that he might be right. But if she were forced to acknowledge that... well, she doesn't know if she could live like that. How could Kurou live like that?

She can't go into that, she just can't. It's a relief to hear that he at least will keep her words in mind. It's as much comfort as she could give, if that's the way things are for him.

Unless... he is like her. ''Exactly'' like her. But that's not something she can just ask straight out. Chances are slim, and if she's wrong, then she'll just be giving him false hope. Better to focus on collecting more pieces of the puzzle, before trying to put it together.

It's all rapidly going downhill, in terms of things Niko can easily talk about. First she has to remain silent on that, then the matter of ''family'' comes up, and she's struck silent yet again, aside from a stammered excuse. The way she looks down when Kurou says he wouldn't know what to do without them... perhaps it can be inferred that she gets it. Perhaps too well. "If... if you need help, then..."

Niko shakes her head, takes a breath, and looks Kurou back in the eye. "Well, I don't know what I can do, but you just tell me if there's anything and I'll come running, alright? Don't matter what it is."

Perhaps that's not a promise she should have made, when it would put her in a very awkward position should Kurou decide to confront the Joker Killer. She can breathe a metaphorical sigh of relief when he thinks better of that.

"Smart," is her judgement. "It wouldn't have been the Joker Killer's call anyway, that's not how it works. If you wanna do anything about it, I'd try to find out who the Joker Killer's target was, and who called him. They're the ones who are really to blame here." Far be it from her to discourage revenge, if properly targeted.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
<poem>
For Kurou, it's still a musing. What it means to be alive. What it means to die. What it means to live. These things all seemed so simple and obvious once. But now it's all been put into question. Because the world is, indeed, a very fucked up place. But that means others have seen it, and have found ways through it. Niko is one who has seen it. Kurou is almost certain of that now, though he sees her much less the puzzle she sees him, despite her many mysteries.

After all, maybe that's just how it is for any given Persona user.

More to his own puzzle though is how much more comfortable he seems to get as the subject matter becomes about the Joker Killer and not about his own family. Or perhaps that's normal, with it being such a grim thing to consider, surrounded by rubble from the same fire that might've taken them from Kurou.

But... 'if he needs help.' Kurou looks back up at Niko with a clear-eyed blink. He regards her with another slight head tilt, and there is a shine of wonder in his eye, as if he does not understand why she would offer him anything in light of this. To come running...

"... You are a very kind person, Niko-chan," he observes. "I will not take that for granted."

Whether or not he ever ends up calling upon that help... that's for Niko to regret at a later date.

At least it ''probably'' won't involve the Joker Killer. Kurou's attention lights up again with Niko providing a little more of an opinion on how this all works. Actually... he had never thought of that in his focus on following Shiryuu's final wishes. He knows why Shiryuu wanted to kill the Joker Killer... who it is that's really in danger that Shiryuu wanted to protect...

"Have you ever heard of anyone targeted without a call?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Niko is pretty sure she gets everything much better than the average Persona User. She had help, to get her eyes opened to the truth, the full truth. It's frustrating to see others not getting it, but they can't help it, they don't know any better. They'd probably be happier not knowing any better, so she generally doesn't seek to let others in on it. Kurou, though... Kurou might be the rare case who could see things the way she does. If only she could be sure...

Well, for now she can be content with the possibility. Even if she doesn't find exactly what she's looking for, they do have a bunch of things in common, that's always nice.

Concern for one's family though... she'd have to hope that's a constant, as long as one has any family they're close to. Perhaps not quite to the degree that Kurou is displaying here, but... she gets it. She gets it so well, she finds herself making an offer without thinking. And Kurou clearly sees that as something special, calling her 'kind', which... is a little embarrassing. Better downplay and deflect that one a little.

"Heh. Well at least somebody can see that." Niko manages to make it sound casual enough, shrugging exaggeratedly. "Don't hear that nearly enough, honestly. Weird, right? You try your best to be friendly and people just don't seem to consider 'hey, that's probably a nice person'. I'm telling ya, world's fucked up."

It's not as if that isn't the truth. She defaults to being friendly. If people assume she's anything but, or hold something she did in the past against her... well, she's being friendly ''now'', so who's the weird one, really?

It may be to her detriment a little that Kurou makes her feel uncommonly appreciated. It makes her want to be cooperative. Where it comes to the Joker Killer, she miiiight not want to be quite as cooperative as she could be. While not entirely unguarded, she still ends up answering his question honestly enough. And casually enough, as casual as if they were talking about the weather.

"Not for no reason. That's the thing, if someone calls him, he has to kill the person whose name they speak. That's the rule, he has to follow it. If someone becomes an obstacle to that, then yeah, he could decide they need to be removed. You know how it is."

Probably better than she realizes.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
<poem>
It's only logical to not be sure when the world has so many fucked up options in it. But Kurou can't deny that Niko's curiosity proves a strange boon at time. She seems to understand the pain. She seemed to know he could hurt, even without him saying so. A curious person. But indeed, a kind person, who would offer to help provide presence in a sudden absence.

A small and simple thing. Maybe one that could have set him on a different path, had fate saw fit to let it happen sooner.

Unfortunately, Kurou is too powerful for deflections by virtue of being too dense to recognize them. "Oh," he begins, tone low with one might imagine as disappointment. "That is weird. Would it help to hear it again? You are a kind person, even when the world is unkind."

To know the Joker Killer is to know of some of its unkindness, though Niko speaks of it all casually enough. This too comes as a strange comfort, knowing that such things exist, but getting to the point instead of having to speak of fear. If only Kurou knew Niko's particular attachment. Or would it make a difference, with all the strange ways he navigates the world?

Kurou nods slowly as he digests her explanation. "An obstacle..." A broad description, but one that Kurou cannot refute might be true of Umie Akabane... The very first thing that happened once he committed to her protection was a task to interrupt the Joker Killer. She's far from the only person who does it, though...

"... I see. Thank you." It may not be in depth information, but it's still enough for Kurou to chew one. "Then... if not a caller, and if not the killer... the true culprit is the one who made the rule..."

That is who Kurou would need to target, to strike at the true heart, if his hunger becomes too great.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
It's exactly because Niko understands pain that she can be this way. So focused on taking pain away, from her own daily life, and those of others, so long as they're receptive to her way of thinking. It's a shame that most people have limits, in how far they'd be willing to commit to eliminating pain. That so few would thank her, for being as committed as she is.

...While Kurou seems bent in insisting upon it. That's its own kind of unfortunate, and Niko doesn't really know how to handle it. "That's not what I... nggh." She doesn't get any further than that in her attempted protest. Obviously it doesn't help to double down on that statement. But... she can't argue that it's still nice to hear. "Look, it's fine," she decides to abort the attempt with that, feeling like whatever she says will make it worse.

Even if she were to just speak her thoughts, 'how do you have my number like that', he'd only say 'you gave me your number yourself'. You just have to cut your losses at some point.

At least Kurou is also far less likely than most to notice the odd level of embarrassment there, and the odd lack of concern in the way she speaks of the Joker Killer. Then again, she does know the rules, by virtue of which she also knows how to avoid the issue. As for who made the rules... ...she doesn't know that, but she somehow never thought of it the way Kurou just did, as evidenced by the odd pause, followed by the admission, "That... may be so."

She shakes her head. "All I know is, now that the rules are there... they need to be followed. So... be careful not to get in the way of that. Okay, Kurou-chan?" That sudden bright tone in the end didn't match the rest of what she said at all. That was a serious warning. Out of concern for him, surely. The friendly way she's smiling at him couldn't possibly mean anything else.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
<poem>
Pain.

Yes. Kurou does not meet many who understand pain.

"Not what you...?" Alas, it does not seem Kurou will get to know how that finishes.

For Niko is already earning her degree in Kurou. And if he knew she was having this conversation in her own mind, and so accurately, he would praise her for her pattern recognition and foresight, presumably. Perhaps the most dangerous parts of Kurou are the ones even he is blind to...

It's fine, she says. "Oh. I see."

Just like that! But his blank stare back at her is as same as ever. If he notices any embarrassment (he doesn't), then he doesn't show it (because there is nothing to show). His own concern for the Joker Killer, despite the circumstances, seems absent in his manner. Why should Niko have to show any more?

But in another act of her kindness -- all smiles and bright toned with friendliness and assuredly nothing else -- Niko warns him to be careful. Kurou responds with a small bow.

"I understand, Niko-chan. You do not need to worry." He looks back over the rubble. "... I have somewhere I need to be. But... thank you, for speaking with me. I will respond from now on."

He does not linger, moving on his way with swiftness and silence. But soon enough, Niko finally gets a response to her text chain:

''alive''
''sorry''

... Well, it's an effort.

</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 1]]

2025-12-26: A Duel of Detonating Cats

2026-01-09T00:08:03Z

Fureasei: Created page with "*'''Log: A Duel of Detonating Cats''' *'''Cast:''' Niko Kirisaki, Jin Shirato *'''Where:''' Strega Warehouse Hideout - Tatsumi Port Island *'''OOC Date:''' December 26, 2025 *'''IC Date:''' August 31, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''Niko introduces Jin to Detonating Cats, a card game all about making sure you don't explode. Though it's not quite Jin's cup of tea, and he tries to interest her in another game, Niko knows just how to get him fired up for this one. Who will c..."

*'''Log: A Duel of Detonating Cats'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Niko Kirisaki]], [[Jin Shirato]]
*'''Where:''' Strega Warehouse Hideout - Tatsumi Port Island
*'''OOC Date:''' December 26, 2025
*'''IC Date:''' August 31, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Niko introduces Jin to Detonating Cats, a card game all about making sure you don't explode. Though it's not quite Jin's cup of tea, and he tries to interest her in another game, Niko knows just how to get him fired up for this one. Who will come out on top? You won't believe the shocking conclusion...!'' (NOTE: no cats were harmed in the making of this scene)

----

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Strega isn't quite like your typical organisation. Normal organisations have planned, structured meetings in which some sort of itinerary is discussed, and concrete plans are made. Strega had the Joker Killer randomly building a scale model in the middle of a room and announcing future plans in front of anybody who happened to be around to hear, while Niko made a flippant remark that was taken entirely seriously by Takaya, and now there's SEES raid plans happening.

While Niko's exact words were 'go over there and mess up their dorms', even she can't be satisfied with just kicking the door down and see what happens. Takaya seemed interested in seeing what she can do, so now she's treating this as a test of sorts to put in a good showing. She's done a little scouting to that end, but as for concrete plans... if she has any, she has yet to share.

But forget all that, more importantly, Sudou gave Niko a copy of the game Detonating Cats, and she needs a moment to unwind. It's obvious who she was going to rope into that, Jin loves things that explode, surely he'll enjoy it. Or at least realize Niko is going to keep nagging him until he gives it a shot. It's a short, simple game, won't take any time at all, so she claimed.

"So, if you draw a Detonating Cat, you explode, obviously. All the other cards are ways to try and avoid exploding. Any questions?"

All Niko did was shuffle the cards, set the deck down on the table between them, and that was whole explanation. Simple enough, right? Jin's smart, he'll figure it out.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Jin Shirato has posed.
<poem>
"Tch." Jin lets out a derisive snort at this explanation. Normally, he wouldn't be caught dead playing a game like this, but Niko saved his ass in the last battle and Jin didn't like owing anyone anything.

Besides, it was just a children's card game. It was a much cheaper payment than most people would ask.

"Got it," he says. "So if I draw the Detonating Cat, there's no way to get rid of it before it explodes?" Jin always has to have a backup plan for his explosives. Sometimes things don't always go as planned. Not that Jin would ever admit to anyone that sometimes his plans didn't work out.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
"Of course there is!" is Niko's bright response, already looking like she's having as great time before they even started. "Look under your seat."

For whatever reason, Niko snuck a card under Jin's chair beforehand. It says 'Deactivate', and has a picture of a wide-eyed black cat laying on its side with a switch set to 'off' on its back.

"As long as you have one of these," she says, flashing the single card she was hiding under her hand, "You can survive a Detonating Cat, and sneakily put it back into the deck, wherever you want it to go. Unless you draw more, that's your only chance."

She picks up the deck, and starts to deal cards, seven to each of them. They all have weird-looking animals on them and explain you can use them to do things like shuffle the deck, look at the top three cards of the deck, skip drawing a card, force the next player to draw two cards, or cancel a card another player just played. It's all very clear... except for the cards that just don't say what they do at all.

"That's it really. You play however many cards you want, or none at all, and then you draw a card. As long as you don't draw this one," She shows a card with a picture of a cat sitting down on a plunger attached to dynamite, "You're safe, and the next player goes." She moves to shuffle that card into the deck, one assumes that means that's the only one in there. "Simple, right?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Jin Shirato has posed.
<poem>
"Right," Jin says, flat-toned. Whatever. He'll just figure it out as the game goes on. He just wishes that Niko asked to play Innocent Sin Online instead. That kinda game he knew backwards and forwards and up and down. There was no way anyone was going to outdo him in that game. (Unlike this one.)

But Niko didn't seem to know anything about Innocent Sin Online. There was no reason for her to ask to play it. And while Jin wasn't counting on getting his ass beat again, he was at least smart enough to know that even the best-laid plans sometimes go off-script. So maybe it would be a good idea to plant this seed now in case he was summoned to play another game in return for an ass-saving.

Jin looks at the cards in his hand, shifting them slightly as he reads the text on them. "This game seems really fun," he says in a voice that does not inspire any confidence, "but you know what game's really good? Innocent Sin Online."

His eyes flicker up from the cards in front of him. "If you want, I can show you how to play sometime."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
"I thought you'd like it," Niko responds while arranging the cards in her hand, apparently guileless about the sarcasm. She tilts her head when Jin brings up a different game. "Hm? ISO, the MMO?" Niko does know her gaming, though she certainly never mentioned that one. Perhaps her next words explain why. "Not really my jam, that sorta thing. The fights are like, you just stand there while you press the occasional button until you win, right?"

Niko indicates the deck on the table with her free hand. "Now THIS. This one's all about the mind games. You like mind games, don't you? Think you can outsmart me?"

The mind games have already started, because this is Niko trying to appeal to Jin's competitive spirit. If he's so smart, beating Niko in a battle of wits should be easy, right? He's gonna need to prove that, now.

With a grin, Niko declares, "I'll go first," playing a card to look at the top three cards of the deck. She sure takes her time peeking, exaggeratedly bent over the deck to shield them from Jin's view, before she sits back, calmly draws a card, and declares, "Your turn~"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Jin Shirato has posed.
<poem>
Jin grits his teeth. "It's a lot more complicated than that! If you're a n00b playing in a low-level zone, yeah, maybe you can hit the same button over and over again and be fine. But the higher you level up, the more complex the strategy and the harder the bosses. Plus you have PvP you need to worry about."

With a huff, Jin promptly pulls a card from the deck and tucks it into his hand. "There. Don't think you can beat me that easily!"

All Jin did was pull his first card of the game, but he's already acting as though he made a major tactical play.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
"Ah, geez, you can't opt out of PvP? Well that's really selling it," Niko replies with an overexaggerated sigh. "Nothing like trying to get a quest done when some asshole who's got twenty levels on you decides it'd be funny to one-hit kill you. I dunno about you, but I play games to have fun, not to be bullied."

She pauses in mid-draw, narrowing her eyes at Jin. "Jin. Are you bullying people in ISO? Tell me the truth." Some might consider this an unfitting topic of contention between people who literally take money to bully people. But games are different. You'd have to be some kind of non-gamer not to understand that.

There's no escaping Niko's gaze while she slowly draws that card. She peeked at it earlier, she doesn't need to look at it to know what it is. "...I like to know the people I play with. Whether it's with them or against them, it's gonna feel empty when it's just randos. That's why I wanted to play with you."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Jin Shirato has posed.
<poem>
"Just the people who deserve it," Jin says defensively. How can he help it that there just happens to be a lot of people on the game that also happen to deserve it.

"There's no-PVP zones, anyway, but if we play together, I'll protect you from the others anyway." Jin would. He directs his attention back to Niko's slow-mo drawing of the card. "You gonna pull that card, already?!"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Well, if Jin thinks he can be stubborn about this, two can play at that game. Niko draws the card lightning-quick when prompted to by Jin, and proceeds to turn the competition in a different direction, with seven simple words.

"Just try to keep up with me."

That dare to take turns as quickly as possible is the signal for the quickest game of Detonating Cats ever, where the contest becomes to play and draw cards as fast as possible. Niko at some point just stops playing cards entirely, growing her hand to the point she can't hold them anymore and just puts them face down on the table after glancing at them. Whoever decided this game doesn't have a hand limit clearly wasn't counting on this turn of events. And so, in no time at all...

The deck only has two cards left in it. Against all odds, that one Detonating Cat card in there just never showed up. So it has to be one of the last two cards in there. All cards that let you look at them have already been played. And it's Jin's turn.

"Hang on," Niko interrupts at that point, blocking what's left of the cards with her hand. "You shouldn't draw right now. Think about this one. I know we each drew the same amount of Deactivate cards, and I know you have more Cancel cards than me. All you have to do is play a card to skip your turn and make me draw two to make it a guaranteed win."

She sits back, waiting for Jin to recover from the undoubtedly wild reveal that Niko is not only capable of counting cards, but capable of doing it that quickly, before questioning with a neutral expression, "Now that you know that, you'll obviously take the safe option, right? It's an easy choice. All you have to do to save yourself is... kill me."

She was NOT kidding about the mind games.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Jin Shirato has posed.
<poem>
"What the hell," Jin says in reply, shaking his head. "No, no way. Don't think I'm going to just take the easy way out just because it's there."

Jin raises his head, his eyes fluttering up so that his gaze meets her own. There's a strangely intense gleam in his eyes. The light outside the nearby window shifts. A harsh glare races across the lenses of Jin's glasses. When the glare fades, the lens of his glasses are as dark as his expression.

Jin's fingertips touch the edge of the top-most card. They sit there for a moment, as if Jin is contemplating his next move. He slides the card slightly towards him, then stops, leaving half of the card beneath it exposed.

Is he having second thoughts?

"We draw together," he says, his voice gravelly.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Niko's expression doesn't betray a thing, as she watches Jin's reaction, studying him as she she could see the very thoughts running through his head. The kneejerk reaction being to reject the easy option isn't too surprising, it was one of only two presented options. But when he says 'we draw together', her mask breaks, eyes widening. That's not how the game works. You're supposed to take turns. So... if he doesn't like either option, he'd rather break the rules and find a new one?

Niko chuckles, then starts to laugh, but she reigns it in before it gets too out of control. "...Alright. If that's your choice. Then, this one's mine."

She slides the card underneath Jin's toward herself, then meets his eyes, a grin on her face. "On three. One, two..." Three; the cards are flipped over, and...

Neither one is the Detonating Cat??

"Heh."

Niko's hand moves back to one of the cards in the pile on her side of the table, revealing she'd been holding the Detonating Cat card this whole time. "Second card I drew," she explains, which is extra wild because she'd seen beforehand what that one was going to be, and didn't do anything about it.

"Rules didn't say you had to reveal the Detonating Cat if you drew it. I decided I'd rather not blow you up, so I just silently Deactivated it in my hand, and called it good."

Jin's not the only one who'd break the rules when it suits him.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Jin Shirato has posed.
<poem>
Jin's mouth drops slightly, but as soon as he's aware of it, he snaps it shut.

"You could have won! Why didn't you do it?" An uncharitable explanation comes to mind and Jin doesn't like what his mind conjured. "Did you feel sorry for me? Because it was my first game?!"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Niko rubs the back of her head, looking embarrassed. "Nah, nah, it's not like that, I just, I felt bad for the kitties. They're cute, I don't want the kitties to explode." That's not a lie, it's just also not the whole truth.

She shrugs, going on to explain, "If you wanna know, I was planning to make the next game a wager, but, I changed my mind. Instead, I'm just gonna ask you straight up." Placing her hands in front of her on the table, she asks one simple question: "How do you feel about playing decoy for me?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Jin Shirato has posed.
<poem>
Yeah, of course Niko wouldn't want to hurt the cats. Jin is visibly mollified by this explanation.

"Decoy?" Jin sits back in his chair and folds his arms over his chest. "What do you need a decoy for?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
"Weeeell..." Niko sits back as well, scratching her cheek. This whole situation's still weird whenever she thinks about it. "D'you hear about the attack that's in the works? We're gonna hit SEES, right at their dorm. And I'm... kinda-sorta in charge of that?" If she sounds confused, that's because even she's not sure to what degree the decisions fall to her.

She shakes her head, "It's just, I want to make this a good showing, you know? Put some kind of a plan together for it, since, well... It's the first time Takaya-sama seemed to have... expectations of me." Even if she mostly does her own thing, Niko does respectfully defer to Takaya, and doesn't want to disappoint him. All he had to do was show a positive reaction to her words for her to take this much more seriously than she otherwise would have.

"So, yeah!" she concludes, far too cheerfully, "I think I'm gonna need SEES's attention to be drawn elsewhere so I can get the drop on 'em! You could make some noise to make 'em come running, right?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Jin Shirato has posed.
<poem>
"So all I need to do is blow some shit up, right?" Jin cocks his head up, a smile growing on his face. "I can handle that. You tell me where to be and I'll draw them there. But..."

But. Jin leans forward in his chair.

"...before I agree, you'll have to tell me why you want me to distract 'em."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Niko lets out a giggle at the predictable reaction to getting to blow shit up. "Thought you'd like the idea of that." And if he wants to know why... Niko wags a finger. "Wow, that curious huh? Can't wait, need spoilers?"

She crosses her arms, making a show of acting as if she's thinking hard. Even though she'd already decided on the conclusion. "Well, alright, just 'cause it's you!" She motions to him to lean in even further. Because she's going to whisper it in his ear. Even though there's absolutely no one else in the whole building right now. Niko does things the way Niko wants to... and if all goes according to plan, SEES is going to get a taste of what that's like.
</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 1]]

Niko Kirisaki

2026-01-07T00:06:21Z

Fureasei:

{| class="toccolours" style="width: 15%; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="background:#000000; border: 2px #FF69B4 solid; font size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Niko Kirisaki'''
|-
! colspan="2" align="center" | [[File:Niko_Kirisaki.png|300px]]
|-
! style="background:#000000; border: 2px #FF69B4 solid; font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''IC Information'''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Full Name:
| Niko Kirisaki (霧崎仁子)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Arcana:
| [[Tarot#Moon|The Moon]] (XVIII)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Gender:
| Female
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Age (Birthdate):
| 16 (February 27, 1996)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Hair Colour:
| Hot Pink (dyed)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Eye Colour:
| Sea Green
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Height:
| 5'6" / 168 cm
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Residence:
| Tatsumi Port Island
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Workplace:
| Variable
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Job:
| Self-Employed
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Role:
| Nemesis
|-
! style="background:#000000; border: 2px #FF69B4 solid; font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''OOC Information'''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Source:
| Persona 3 (OC)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Voice Actor:
| Mariya Ise / Sarah Williams
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Groups:
| [[Strega]]
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Player:
| [[User:Fureasei|Fureasei]]
|-
|}

'''"What's wrong with having a little fun? You should join in!"'''

With the fashion style of a street punk, the body of a professional athlete, and a disarmingly cheerful and carefree disposition, Niko Kirisaki is a creature of contradiction. Which only gets worse once you get to know her, and come to realize her friendly attitude and playful teasing can devolve into scathing rebukes and savage beatings with little provocation, all delivered with that same sunny smile. Harrowing childhood experiments that forcibly awakened her as an Artificial Persona User are to blame for both the strengthening of her physique and the fracturing of her psyche, to the point of loosening her grip on reality. Though still largely dissociated, she's managed to regain a fragile sense of belonging in hooking up with Strega, and is all too eager to lend them some extra muscle whenever needed.

= Background =

This life subsists on fading breath 
Acceptance is akin to death 
Reflections cast show naught but lies 
Behind the mirror I'll find my prize

==Season 1, Episode 1==
In progress!

= Persona =
'''Ate''': A dark blue-tinted spectral entity which appears to consist of only a giant head in its resting state. Its feminine, unmarred, statue-like face is frozen in a blank expression, with naught but empty hollows where eyes should be. Its hair, impossibly long, writhes and flutters like a living shadow, mimicking the appearance of a phantasmal cloak.

The Greek mythological personification of moral blindness, Ate (pronounced ah-tay) inspires delusion, recklessness, folly and ruin. Originally an agent of Zeus's divine retribution, she was blamed for blinding him to the treachery of Hera and cast down from Olympus.

= Special Skills =

Niko's most special skill is being so disarmingly friendly and cheerful most of the time that you may entirely forget about the fact that she is built like a freight train and almost certainly could - and may suddenly decide to - kick your ass.

Her Approaches are as follows:
* '''Crazy Talk''' - You need suggestions? Niko has all kinds of suggestions. Niko cannot guarantee that they are good suggestions, or even have anything to do with the problem at hand.
* '''Just Smash It''' - Except this suggestion, this one is ''always'' good and helpful. Niko will be happy to follow through on it, too!
* '''Happy-Go-Lucky''' - Niko doesn't appear to have a care in the world - whatever else you may think of her, it's hard to deny that her cheery attitude can be quite infectious.

=Relationships=

You speak, yet meaning slips away 
All is lost in the endless gray 
Venture not into this blur 
Lest it swallow all you were

= Soundtrack =

<ul>
<li>Main Theme - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEsbEvj0JeU Neo: The World Ends With You OST - Unpainted]</li>

<li>Strega Battle Theme (Niko ver.) - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdY8dES2ug4 Persona 3 - Unavoidable Battle (Metal Cover)]</li>
</ul>

= Logs and Cutscenes =

==Season 1==

===Logs===

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|ordermethod = title
|columns = 3
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</div>

===Cutscenes===

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[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Strega]]
[[Category:Nemesis]]

Julian Marlowe

2026-01-07T00:06:13Z

Fureasei:

{| class="toccolours" style="width: 15%; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="background:#DEAD17; border: 2px #000000 solid; font size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Julian Marlowe'''
|-
! colspan="2" align="center" | [[File:Julian_Marlowe.png|300px]]
|-
! style="background:#DEAD17; border: 2px #000000 solid; font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''IC Information'''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Full Name:
| Julian Marlowe
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Arcana:
| [[Tarot#Fortune|Fortune]] (X)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Gender:
| Male
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Age (Birthdate):
| 27 (October 15, 1984)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Hair Colour:
| Straw Blonde
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Eye Colour:
| Steel Blue
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Height:
| 6'0" / 183 cm
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Residence:
| Tomigaya district, Shibuya, Tokyo
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Workplace:
| Kasugayama High School
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Job:
| English Teacher / Guidance Counselor
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Role:
| Focus
|-
! style="background:#DEAD17; border: 2px #000000 solid; font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''OOC Information'''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Source:
| Persona 5 (OC)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Voice Actor:
| Kazuhiko Inoue / Troy Baker
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Groups:
| None
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Player:
| [[User:Fureasei|Fureasei]]
|-
|}

'''"I'd much rather be a meddler than ignore those who could benefit from a little meddling."'''

Julian Marlowe is Kasugayama High's new English teacher and guidance counselor, a young man from Britain with the impeccable manners one would expect from a self-styled Gentleman. Yet below his calm, somewhat quirky exterior beats a passionate heart that genuinely wishes nothing but the very best for his students, and the will to bring it out of them through whatever means necessary. Seeking to bury a turbulent past that cost him everything, his new life in Japan also ended up including a different sort of adventure: answering the Will of Rebellion and taking on the alternate identity of Vesper, the jovial and over-eager Supernatural Investigator with a flair for the dramatic.

= Background =
Julian is a recent immigrant from London, arriving in Tokyo in early 2012. Though he may not quite know all the ins and outs of Japanese culture, his mastery over the Japanese language and knowledge of the local customs is striking - suggesting he didn't travel there on a whim. He lives alone in a very nice apartment in the Tomigaya district of Shibuya, which suggests he's been doing rather well for himself.

But at present, aside from the impressive credentials that effortlessly got him the position at Kasugayama High, no one really knows much of anything about what his life in his home country was like. Julian doesn't tend to talk much about himself in general, but where it comes to his past before 2012, he's been exceptionally tight-lipped.

==Season 1, Episode 1==
In progress!

= Persona =
'''Raffles''': A humanoid-shaped figure wearing a fashionable dark trench coat over a white cricket jersey bearing the number 17 in red, carrying a diamond-tipped walking cane in the left hand and a cricket bat in the right. His right side limbs are notably inhuman, made up out of a mass of dark tendrils - wrapped around the bat, in the case of the right 'hand'. His face is covered by an iron face guard styled halfway between that of a cricket catcher and a Man In The Iron Mask-style prisoner's helmet, only leaving openings for the eyes and mouth, through which a bright yellow light shines.

Based on the character A.J. Raffles from the novels written by E.W. Hornung, this self-described 'Amateur Cracksman' mingled in high society as the very picture of a British gentleman, admired for his skill at cricket. By night, he would use his mastery of disguise and proficiency at constructing makeshift burglary tools to steal from those he considered undeserving of their riches.

= Special Skills =

Though he has his area of expertise in counseling, Julian has an uncommonly wide range of knowledge and experiences, and is very quick to adapt and improvise based on the circumstances. If there is a limit to his patience, or any way to provoke him into rudeness, it has yet to be discovered.

His Approaches are as follows:
* '''Counsel''' - It's right there in the job description! Julian always has a well-meaning word of advice to give, employing his Understanding of people and situations to steer a situation towards a positive outcome.
* '''Inspire''' - Though perfectly aware of his natural Charm and how that could be used as an asset, generally speaking, there's nothing disingenuous about Julian's words of flattery and encouragement. He's simply helping to boost confidence and bring out the best in others.
* '''Swagger''' - When all else fails, and you have no idea what you should be doing, fake it 'til you make it. Julian is Gutsy enough to try and bluff his way through situations with nothing but false bravado.

=Relationships=

(I'm historically very bad at keeping up with these, we'll see if I manage!)

===Notable NPCs===
* '''Tomoyo Harayama''' - A second year at Kasugayama High school. Julian's staunchest supporter, putting up with any and all teacher's pet allegations to defend him as a well-meaning individual who really cares about his students. Quiet and withdrawn until a few weeks after Julian arrived, now unafraid to freely speak her mind and stand up for herself. Is this the power of counseling...?

* '''Kotoha Shiranui''' - A third year at Kasugayama High school. Having never allied herself with a Boss, she was known to be a lone wolf with a vicious temper and the muscle to back it up. Yet when returning to school after summer vacation in 2012, she started to effectively act as self-appointed Hall Monitor from Hell, while referring to Julian as 'Boss'. Just what is Julian doing to the students...?

= Soundtrack =

<ul>
<li>Main Theme (Julian) - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWYG7lZBc6U Mumford & Sons - After the Storm]</li>

<li>Main Theme (Vesper) - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAXm2FcEUBw The Scarlet Pimpernel (musical) - The Riddle]</li>
</ul>

= Logs and Cutscenes =

==Season 1==

<div style="column-count: 3;">
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[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Kasugayama High School]]
[[Category:Focus]]

2025-12-21: A Degree In Partying

2026-01-05T01:32:39Z

Fureasei:

*'''Log: A Degree In Partying'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Niko Kirisaki]], [[Minako Arisato]]
*'''Where:''' Iwatodai Dormitory environs
*'''OOC Date:''' December 21, 2025
*'''IC Date:''' August 29, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Not wanting to betray the expectations she believes Takaya placed in her, Niko starts casually casing the Iwatodai Dormitory, to gather intel and determine a good approach for the upcoming strike against SEES. She is spotted and approached by Minako, with the aim of figuring out what she's up to. But the ensuing conversation quickly goes way off topic, causing both of their original intentions to go entirely off the rails, culminating in... phone numbers being exchanged??''

----

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Things that Niko Kirisaki never expected would happen: Takaya of all people taking one of her flippant suggestions seriously and telling her to show him what she can do. No pressure! Seriously, does she look like someone who could organize anything, even something as straightforward as a raid?

Well, regardless of the how, it happened, and now she's got to put her money where her mouth was. Technically she doesn't have to, Strega members don't ''have'' to do anything. But this is the first time Takaya ever showed any sort of Expectations towards her. She's not about to pass up the chance to impress him. And so...

A punk has been hanging about the SEES dorms. Perhaps it wouldn't stand out so much if most people passed by the same building several times in a day. But Niko has a way of standing out. Not too many high school age girls out there who dye their hair hot pink, wear torn clothing which only covers the bare necessities of decency, use an actual steel chain for a belt, and have abs for days. A description which ''is'' known to SEES, and thus if she were spotted doing this, the conclusion of 'Strega is hanging around' would be easily reached.

Which would be no skin of Niko's back, really. She's not just casing the place, she is also kind of expecting, perhaps even waiting for someone to call her on it. That's when the real fun begins.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
<poem>
Minako heard something about a punk hanging around the dorms. Really, the SEES leader isn't that bothered about it -- but a few murmurs came her way, and Minako decided that she should at least go see what the situation is. And thus, on this fine summer day, she comes out. She has a T-shirt and blue jeans on today.

The T-shirt is black, with the logo for Bump of Chicken on it. She steps out -- peering about -- before she spots Niko. The pink hair, the chain belt, and the torn clothes... Minako knows who this is.

And she heard, too: this may be a member of that weird 'Strega' group.

So Minako squares her shoulders and approaches. She lifts a hand and she smiles. It might seem incautious -- but Minako often hides a lot behind her smile.

"Hi, there."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
If there was any doubt if Niko was just passing by or actually paying close attention to her surroundings, those are probably removed by how quick she is to whirl about in the direction of the dorm entrance when she hears the door open. Absolutely paying close attention to what was going on in that direction.

But she doesn't look alarmed, guilty, or anything of the sort. Oh no, her smile is an easy match for Minako's, and how much it hides is equally unclear. She responds exactly in kind, lifting a hand and replying, "Hi, yourself." It's so natural, anyone seeing this would think these two are friends.

If Niko does know who Minako is, she gives no indication of it in her initial reaction, glancing back to the door over Minako's shoulder. "You live there? So, Gekkoukan, right?" And because Niko wouldn't be Niko if she didn't poke at least a little, she proceeds to venture, "Name's Niko, call me Niko-chan! I've met some of your friends already... maybe you've heard of me? From Rika-chan, or Yuka-chan maybe?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
<poem>
Minako keeps smiling at the 'Hi, yourself.' They could -- indeed! -- look just like friends. Of course, Minako isn't so punk, and her outfit has a bit of girliness to it. The hair being done up, with the threads to make it just so.

"I do," she says. "It's a nice dormitory! Bit of a haul to get to school every day, but..." She glances sideways, down the street towards the station. Then, she looks back at Niko. "Minako," she says. A pause.

"You mean... Ririka Kawase and Yukari Takeba?" she asks. "Not from them ''as such''... but I think I heard something about you. So... what brings you here?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
The girliness levels of Niko are highly debatable, certainly from just looking at her. The way she carries herself still tends to fall on that side at least. On the outside, perhaps it's the golden bracelet and necklace that clash the most with the rest of her appearance. ...One would be forgiven to wonder whether those even belong to her, but then, her bracelet does have 'Niko' engraved on it, in English.

Regardless, her attitude absolutely appears friendly, overly so even. As soon as she has the name, there doesn't seem to be anything but cheer in her voice when affirming, "Nice to meetcha, Mina-chan!" That address can't have been a surprise, given how she was just heard addressing a couple of other people who would certainly NOT describe her as a friend.

"That's them~" she confirms cheerfully when their full names are spoken. Ririka, who fought her in front of Kasuyagama when Strega blocked entry to people trying to interfere with the 'gang violence' going on there, and Yukari, who fought her when Strega was standing guard for Kaneshiro in his Palace. Both later approached in a seemingly friendly way in spite of everything, which somehow wasn't reassuring to either of them. Strega is clearly bad news in general. And yet...

"No reason! I'm just hanging around, kinda bored, kinda hoping someone'd come up and talk to me. Maybe hang out a bit? I know alllll the good places to party in town."

...She keeps acting like THAT, just casually with her arms folded behind her head, looking every bit as bored as she claims.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
<poem>
The friendly attitude is not ''quite'' what Minako expected of someone from Strega. But, why not? She scarcely understands what Strega really is. She just knows they have sometimes caused trouble for SEES members in the past -- and they have Evokers, of some kind.

"Ah, yeah. I heard something about that and about you," Minako says. The smile only flickers a little bit.

"I did notice you out here," she says. "So here I am. But... what kind of party are you thinking about?"

Her head tilts. "The kind you had with Kawase and Takeba, or... some different kind?"

She isn't, really, at ''all'' what Minako expected.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Strega most certainly has Evokers. If one were to look carefully when Niko moves, one might catch a glimpse of hers sticking out from the inside of her jacket. Though it may not be strictly wise to scrutinize Niko too closely. Who knows how she might react? She might not visibly react much at all, much like how she doesn't when Minako confirms having heard things about her - things that she should be able to infer the nature of.

Or, she might react the way she does when Minako says she noticed Niko out here, prompting a wide grin. "Ohhh, you ''noticed'' me, huh? Checking me out? Well, that's fine, you can look as much as you want~" Niko Kirisaki is an absolute champion at Making It Weird.

Thankfully, she is also easily distracted, giving Minako a confused, doe-eyed stare when asking to clarify the nature of this party. "Eh? I never got to party with Rika-chan or Yuka-chan. Didn't even get around to asking them, they looked pretty uncomfortable. Weird, right? You ever talk to your friends and they just get all nervous for no reason? What's up with that?"

This almost certainly does not match anyone else's perspective of how she came across. Either she genuinely doesn't realize that, or she is an amazing actress.

But she's not going to get too hung up on that, quick to shake her head. "You really don't know what people mean when they say 'wanna party'? That's sad, but don't worry, Niko-sensei can teach you everything you need to know!" Then again, maybe this will be bad to let her keep going with too...
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
<poem>
Minako is many things, but perceptive isn't one of them. She doesn't quite catch the shape of the Evoker underneath Niko's jacket. Instead, she is considering what Niko says -- and ''that'' remark gets her cheeks to turn red and causes her to sputter. "Wh-what?"

She shakes her head, quickly. "N-No! Not like that! You just--you were nearby!" she says. Then, a beat, and she sighs. She glances to the side, and feels rather uncertain that Niko is ''friends'' with either Ririka or Yukari.

But, that might be the point.

"There's a lot of different kinds of parties," Minako says with a sigh. "What kind do you mean?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Niko lives for those kinds of reactions. She openly guffaws, pointing at Minako's priceless expression. "Aaahahaha, the look on your face, you should've seen it just now! Ahhh man... I can see why you'd be friends with Rika-chan and Yuka-chan, they make some real good faces too."

So she's like that with everyone. Some might consider it 'messing with people', but whether Niko herself considers it that... well, she can be kind of hard to figure out. She at least hasn't been clearly and openly malicious...

She's also Over It pretty quickly, just moving on like nothing happened. "Okay, okay, you heard me wrong, I didn't say anything about parties, I said 'partying', like the verb. Alright? You with me so far? Or would it work better if I put on glasses first?"

She genuinely considers for a moment whether doing that would increase her Teacher Power, but then shakes her head. "Forget it, anyway! 'To party', that is, 'to go out', 'to hang', 'to chill', but in an active sorta way. Y'know, like dancing's a good standby, but you could do whatever you want. As long as it's fun, that's what makes it partying!"

She crosses her arms, nodding to herself. Well done Niko, you explained all that perfectly. "You get it now?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
<poem>
''That'' gets Minako to frown. She folds her arms and then she frowns. "I don't see what's so funny! You were just--just teasing me," she says, with a sigh. "Not that either of them mentioned that sort of thing."

She blinks -- and then she frowns, as she tries to keep up. She doesn't quite get over it as fast as Niko. But she does her best to follow along. "Glasses? What would--"

But, an explanation is forthcoming.

"Wait, so--so a party isn't necessarily involved with partying," Minako says. "And partying can be... anything." Her lips purse.

"Y'know, I dare say I might be more confused than I was before," she concludes. "Okay, so what do ''you'' do for partying?"

</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
"That's 'cause you couldn't see your own face!" Niko's reply is as immediate as it is perfectly logical, from where she's standing. Even your own funny face is funny, that's the whole concept of a funhouse, which has the word fun right in there! ...So no, being able to peek into Niko's mind would not have helped, if it doesn't make sense to you already. Then again, look at her. Does she look like someone who knows what embarrassment even is?

Never mind the glasses - clearly they help you look smart, just look at Jin - Niko makes do without them. And look at what a good job she did, she got it across perfectly! She applauds Minako with her hands in front of her chest, smiling brightly. "Now you're getting it!"

Except Minako doesn't, apparently. Which visibly confuses Niko in return. What's confusing about 'partying can be anything you want'? "As long as it's fun," she does pointedly add. If it's not fun, why bother?

Oh, ''examples'', she needs examples, well, Niko has examples. "Me? Usually go clubbing. You know Escapade? That's where I hang a lot. Arcades, those are pretty fun. Karaoke bars... I love singing. You into any of that?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
<poem>
"That--that kind of makes sense," Minako says with a sigh. This may say more about how Minako's brain functions, though, than anything else. Her head tilts for a moment as she thinks about it. Should she put her faith into Niko Kirisaki's way of thinking, though?

"Right, but there's a lot of kinds of fun, right?" Minako says. "Like, sometimes I do a long hike for fun. Or I read a good book for fun. But that's not ''partying'', right?"

Then, though, she blinks -- and she nods quickly. "Yeah, I know Escapade. I even went in a few times--there's this old monk there... and karaoke is great, too."

She cracks a smile again. She looks serious. "What about when you fought Kawase and Takeba?" she asks. "Is that partying?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Even Niko raises an eyebrow at that one. She doesn't hear she makes sense too often. Usually that's a pretty good indicator that she's stumbled upon somebody else who doesn't quite fit in. Curious, when judging from what she's seen so far, she'd say that Minako is someone who'd have no trouble fitting in with the Normal Crowd.

Such things, Niko also thinks about, but doesn't talk about. It's far more natural for her to flow into the conversation about the definition of partying, that was definitely the more important topic anyway. "Right, right. Because that's boring as shit, if you're doing it all by yourself. You'll never have as much fun by yourself as you could have with others around." That's the way she sees it, anyway.

Her smile brightens when she hears that Minako's actually been to Escapade. "Oh hey, rock on," she says, briefly throwing a sign of the horns. "So you've got the Guts, and already figured out the trick to acting like you belong there. Way to hold out on me, you made it sound like you were totally clueless." She pauses, smile fading briefly. "Monk's a sourpuss, but whatever."

When asked about those fights, the smile fades entirely, and she frowns... but not because she's displeased, per se. She's thinking about it. Did that count...? In the end, she shakes her head. "Nah. I had fun playing, but in the end, 's just work, y'know? Feels wrong to count work as partying."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
<poem>
The truth might be that Minako is the sort of weird that fits into ''most'' crowds.

"I dunno about that," Minako says. "Sometimes I want some downtime from being social! And sometimes I want to do it with a friend, too. But..." She trails off, as she thinks about it for a moment. "I like going out and having fun with folks."

She cracks a smile -- then she nods her head. "Yeah. Walk in confidently, and you're good," she says. "And hey--he's fun, once you get to know him."

A beat, then, as she listens.

"Just work?" she asks. "So... that sort of thing. That's your job, basically?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Niko's expression sours at the mere notion of 'downtime'. "I mean, you do you, I'd rather just have as much fun while-- as I can." Odd slip of the tongue there, but Niko won't leave an opening to ask after it. "So yeah, that's what it's all about, having fun with folks. You get it now, I officially name you a graduate of partying." You can almost hear her adding 'which is totally a thing, shut up'.

She fingerguns when Minako ''totally'' gets how to handle Escapade. "Got that right. That's how you get things done in life. You wouldn't believe how many people I've convinced I'm ''twenty''."

This is absolutely an accomplishment, since imposing physique aside, that is not at all a face nor an attitude that appears anywhere near twenty. In another world, she and Minako might have been classmates.

That would definitely have been another world, however. Even Niko tones down the flippancy dial when the subject turns to her job. "Well, yeah. Everyone's gotta live. Not all of us have a home to go back to."

She makes a displeased noise, before the smile returns, and she fishes a phone out of her shorts' pocket. A smartphone - it doesn't look cheap, nor very old. "Forget about that, let's talk fun. Gimme your number, we'll party sometime, 'kay?"

Oh yes, she's totally serious. Like she said, work is work, partying is something else entirely. This is what they call 'work-life balance'.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
<poem>
'As much fun while--'

It doesn't show in Minako's crimson eyes beyond a slight narrowing. But there is a look that speaks volumes. She will remember that; something about that slip of the tongue seems like it is something worth remembering. Even if she cracks a smile. "Hooray, I can add a degree in partying to my list of accolades~"

Then, her eyebrow raises. Minako actually whistles, softly; she is surprised that Niko pulled off looking twenty. She won't ask if she used it for crimes, however.

"...Yeah," she says. "Everyone's gotta live." She can't argue with that. Even if she doesn't approve -- she thinks she understands. Then, though, there is an offer. Minako hesitates for a moment.

"Sure," she finally says -- and hopes she won't regret it. She pulls her phone out, and holds it up, displaying her number.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Niko frequently says things she is 100 percent serious about in that exact same tone, so clearly she's not going to assume that Minako is any less genuinely happy about her new degree of partying. Job well done!

And then it's Niko's turn to puff out her chest, proud of her accomplishments in deception. Which, for the record, have absolutely been used for law-breaking purposes. "Telling ya, just act confidently and meet challenges head-on, that's how you get places." ...That's how she gets places, anyway. Looking like you could twist people into a pretzel probably helps a little bit in being convincing.

Niko absolutely hasn't been saying everything in regards to why she does the things she does, but... before she knew it, she'd said a little more than she meant to. It's strange, how she gets the sense that on some level, this girl understands. She didn't expect that much understanding to be possible, not from someone who isn't the same situation.

All the more reason to stay in contact, by her reckoning. After all, you only truly get to know someone by the way they party.

It's probably not in the least bit unsettling, how she keeps making giggle noises as she adds Minako's number, punctuated by saying out loud exactly how she's listing it. "Mi-na-chan~ There!" She tries it out immediately, sharing her number by means of calling Minako's phone. "Now, you be sure to list that as Niko-chan! If I find out you didn't, I'll be very disappointed."

Yes, Niko is pleasant enough while she's in a good mood. But who can say what she'd be like if she were to be disappointed? Or if she'd been rejected just now, for that matter? Perhaps there were no truly good choices to be made here.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
<poem>
"Hey, it's worked for me, too," Minako says. She ''is'' one of the co-leaders of SEES, after all. And she is the one more prone to rushing right in. Of course, she doesn't have a six pack like Niko does, so Minako has to go on boundless energy even more.

She keeps smiling -- even if her eyebrow twitches a little at those giggling sounds. She repeats, with a sigh: "Mina-chan?" she asks. Then, she does a little start as her phone rings.

"All right, let's see--add contact..." She presses a couple of buttons. Then, she looks up at Niko -- and she gives her a look, as she types. "Niko..."

She does a lengthy pause, for dramatic effect.

"...-chan," she says, as finishes typing.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
"That's what I like to hear," Niko responds to Minako's assertion of going through life the way Niko does, oh-so-casually adding, "We'll have to test that sometime."

No, she's not explaining herself on that one. 'What Did Niko Mean By This' is a question she actively hopes will keep people up at night. That means they're thinking about her, which is only ever a good thing.

Her phone ploy likewise works out the way she wanted, so she's all smiles after that. "Good work, Mina-chan!" she says, making a v-sign before putting her phone away. "Talked a little more than I meant to today, but next time - nothing but partying, I promise!" A promise, not a threat, honest. And then--

"Thanks, I had fun, see ya~"

--she just up and turns on a heel, making to head off in the opposite direction, humming a happy tune to herself. Absolutely in a good mood, having gotten exactly what she wanted.

...Wait. That can't have been what she was originally doing out here, could it? What was she ''really'' skulking around the SEES dorms for? That... may be a thing that both Minako and Niko won't consider until later. Even Niko herself isn't immune to the Niko Effect.
</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 1]]

2025-12-21: A Degree In Partying

2026-01-04T22:56:06Z

Fureasei: Created page with "*'''Log: A Degree In Partying''' *'''Cast:''' Niko Kirisaki, Minako Arisato *'''Where:''' Iwatodai Dormitory environs *'''OOC Date:''' December 21, 2025 *'''IC Date:''' August 29, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''Not wanting to betray the expectations she believes Takaya placed in her, Niko starts casually casing the Iwadatai Dormitory, to gather intel and determine a good approach for the upcoming strike against SEES. She is spotted and approached by Minako, with the aim..."

*'''Log: A Degree In Partying'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Niko Kirisaki]], [[Minako Arisato]]
*'''Where:''' Iwatodai Dormitory environs
*'''OOC Date:''' December 21, 2025
*'''IC Date:''' August 29, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Not wanting to betray the expectations she believes Takaya placed in her, Niko starts casually casing the Iwadatai Dormitory, to gather intel and determine a good approach for the upcoming strike against SEES. She is spotted and approached by Minako, with the aim of figuring out what she's up to. But the ensuing conversation quickly goes way off topic, causing both of their original intentions to go entirely off the rails, culminating in... phone numbers being exchanged??''

----

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Things that Niko Kirisaki never expected would happen: Takaya of all people taking one of her flippant suggestions seriously and telling her to show him what she can do. No pressure! Seriously, does she look like someone who could organize anything, even something as straightforward as a raid?

Well, regardless of the how, it happened, and now she's got to put her money where her mouth was. Technically she doesn't have to, Strega members don't ''have'' to do anything. But this is the first time Takaya ever showed any sort of Expectations towards her. She's not about to pass up the chance to impress him. And so...

A punk has been hanging about the SEES dorms. Perhaps it wouldn't stand out so much if most people passed by the same building several times in a day. But Niko has a way of standing out. Not too many high school age girls out there who dye their hair hot pink, wear torn clothing which only covers the bare necessities of decency, use an actual steel chain for a belt, and have abs for days. A description which ''is'' known to SEES, and thus if she were spotted doing this, the conclusion of 'Strega is hanging around' would be easily reached.

Which would be no skin of Niko's back, really. She's not just casing the place, she is also kind of expecting, perhaps even waiting for someone to call her on it. That's when the real fun begins.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
<poem>
Minako heard something about a punk hanging around the dorms. Really, the SEES leader isn't that bothered about it -- but a few murmurs came her way, and Minako decided that she should at least go see what the situation is. And thus, on this fine summer day, she comes out. She has a T-shirt and blue jeans on today.

The T-shirt is black, with the logo for Bump of Chicken on it. She steps out -- peering about -- before she spots Niko. The pink hair, the chain belt, and the torn clothes... Minako knows who this is.

And she heard, too: this may be a member of that weird 'Strega' group.

So Minako squares her shoulders and approaches. She lifts a hand and she smiles. It might seem incautious -- but Minako often hides a lot behind her smile.

"Hi, there."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
If there was any doubt if Niko was just passing by or actually paying close attention to her surroundings, those are probably removed by how quick she is to whirl about in the direction of the dorm entrance when she hears the door open. Absolutely paying close attention to what was going on in that direction.

But she doesn't look alarmed, guilty, or anything of the sort. Oh no, her smile is an easy match for Minako's, and how much it hides is equally unclear. She responds exactly in kind, lifting a hand and replying, "Hi, yourself." It's so natural, anyone seeing this would think these two are friends.

If Niko does know who Minako is, she gives no indication of it in her initial reaction, glancing back to the door over Minako's shoulder. "You live there? So, Gekkoukan, right?" And because Niko wouldn't be Niko if she didn't poke at least a little, she proceeds to venture, "Name's Niko, call me Niko-chan! I've met some of your friends already... maybe you've heard of me? From Rika-chan, or Yuka-chan maybe?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
<poem>
Minako keeps smiling at the 'Hi, yourself.' They could -- indeed! -- look just like friends. Of course, Minako isn't so punk, and her outfit has a bit of girliness to it. The hair being done up, with the threads to make it just so.

"I do," she says. "It's a nice dormitory! Bit of a haul to get to school every day, but..." She glances sideways, down the street towards the station. Then, she looks back at Niko. "Minako," she says. A pause.

"You mean... Ririka Kawase and Yukari Takeba?" she asks. "Not from them ''as such''... but I think I heard something about you. So... what brings you here?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
The girliness levels of Niko are highly debatable, certainly from just looking at her. The way she carries herself still tends to fall on that side at least. On the outside, perhaps it's the golden bracelet and necklace that clash the most with the rest of her appearance. ...One would be forgiven to wonder whether those even belong to her, but then, her bracelet does have 'Niko' engraved on it, in English.

Regardless, her attitude absolutely appears friendly, overly so even. As soon as she has the name, there doesn't seem to be anything but cheer in her voice when affirming, "Nice to meetcha, Mina-chan!" That address can't have been a surprise, given how she was just heard addressing a couple of other people who would certainly NOT describe her as a friend.

"That's them~" she confirms cheerfully when their full names are spoken. Ririka, who fought her in front of Kasuyagama when Strega blocked entry to people trying to interfere with the 'gang violence' going on there, and Yukari, who fought her when Strega was standing guard for Kaneshiro in his Palace. Both later approached in a seemingly friendly way in spite of everything, which somehow wasn't reassuring to either of them. Strega is clearly bad news in general. And yet...

"No reason! I'm just hanging around, kinda bored, kinda hoping someone'd come up and talk to me. Maybe hang out a bit? I know alllll the good places to party in town."

...She keeps acting like THAT, just casually with her arms folded behind her head, looking every bit as bored as she claims.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
<poem>
The friendly attitude is not ''quite'' what Minako expected of someone from Strega. But, why not? She scarcely understands what Strega really is. She just knows they have sometimes caused trouble for SEES members in the past -- and they have Evokers, of some kind.

"Ah, yeah. I heard something about that and about you," Minako says. The smile only flickers a little bit.

"I did notice you out here," she says. "So here I am. But... what kind of party are you thinking about?"

Her head tilts. "The kind you had with Kawase and Takeba, or... some different kind?"

She isn't, really, at ''all'' what Minako expected.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Strega most certainly has Evokers. If one were to look carefully when Niko moves, one might catch a glimpse of hers sticking out from the inside of her jacket. Though it may not be strictly wise to scrutinize Niko too closely. Who knows how she might react? She might not visibly react much at all, much like how she doesn't when Minako confirms having heard things about her - things that she should be able to infer the nature of.

Or, she might react the way she does when Minako says she noticed Niko out here, prompting a wide grin. "Ohhh, you ''noticed'' me, huh? Checking me out? Well, that's fine, you can look as much as you want~" Niko Kirisaki is an absolute champion at Making It Weird.

Thankfully, she is also easily distracted, giving Minako a confused, doe-eyed stare when asking to clarify the nature of this party. "Eh? I never got to party with Rika-chan or Yuka-chan. Didn't even get around to asking them, they looked pretty uncomfortable. Weird, right? You ever talk to your friends and they just get all nervous for no reason? What's up with that?"

This almost certainly does not match anyone else's perspective of how she came across. Either she genuinely doesn't realize that, or she is an amazing actress.

But she's not going to get too hung up on that, quick to shake her head. "You really don't know what people mean when they say 'wanna party'? That's sad, but don't worry, Niko-sensei can teach you everything you need to know!" Then again, maybe this will be bad to let her keep going with too...
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
<poem>
Minako is many things, but perceptive isn't one of them. She doesn't quite catch the shape of the Evoker underneath Niko's jacket. Instead, she is considering what Niko says -- and ''that'' remark gets her cheeks to turn red and causes her to sputter. "Wh-what?"

She shakes her head, quickly. "N-No! Not like that! You just--you were nearby!" she says. Then, a beat, and she sighs. She glances to the side, and feels rather uncertain that Niko is ''friends'' with either Ririka or Yukari.

But, that might be the point.

"There's a lot of different kinds of parties," Minako says with a sigh. "What kind do you mean?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Niko lives for those kinds of reactions. She openly guffaws, pointing at Minako's priceless expression. "Aaahahaha, the look on your face, you should've seen it just now! Ahhh man... I can see why you'd be friends with Rika-chan and Yuka-chan, they make some real good faces too."

So she's like that with everyone. Some might consider it 'messing with people', but whether Niko herself considers it that... well, she can be kind of hard to figure out. She at least hasn't been clearly and openly malicious...

She's also Over It pretty quickly, just moving on like nothing happened. "Okay, okay, you heard me wrong, I didn't say anything about parties, I said 'partying', like the verb. Alright? You with me so far? Or would it work better if I put on glasses first?"

She genuinely considers for a moment whether doing that would increase her Teacher Power, but then shakes her head. "Forget it, anyway! 'To party', that is, 'to go out', 'to hang', 'to chill', but in an active sorta way. Y'know, like dancing's a good standby, but you could do whatever you want. As long as it's fun, that's what makes it partying!"

She crosses her arms, nodding to herself. Well done Niko, you explained all that perfectly. "You get it now?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
<poem>
''That'' gets Minako to frown. She folds her arms and then she frowns. "I don't see what's so funny! You were just--just teasing me," she says, with a sigh. "Not that either of them mentioned that sort of thing."

She blinks -- and then she frowns, as she tries to keep up. She doesn't quite get over it as fast as Niko. But she does her best to follow along. "Glasses? What would--"

But, an explanation is forthcoming.

"Wait, so--so a party isn't necessarily involved with partying," Minako says. "And partying can be... anything." Her lips purse.

"Y'know, I dare say I might be more confused than I was before," she concludes. "Okay, so what do ''you'' do for partying?"

</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
"That's 'cause you couldn't see your own face!" Niko's reply is as immediate as it is perfectly logical, from where she's standing. Even your own funny face is funny, that's the whole concept of a funhouse, which has the word fun right in there! ...So no, being able to peek into Niko's mind would not have helped, if it doesn't make sense to you already. Then again, look at her. Does she look like someone who knows what embarrassment even is?

Never mind the glasses - clearly they help you look smart, just look at Jin - Niko makes do without them. And look at what a good job she did, she got it across perfectly! She applauds Minako with her hands in front of her chest, smiling brightly. "Now you're getting it!"

Except Minako doesn't, apparently. Which visibly confuses Niko in return. What's confusing about 'partying can be anything you want'? "As long as it's fun," she does pointedly add. If it's not fun, why bother?

Oh, ''examples'', she needs examples, well, Niko has examples. "Me? Usually go clubbing. You know Escapade? That's where I hang a lot. Arcades, those are pretty fun. Karaoke bars... I love singing. You into any of that?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
<poem>
"That--that kind of makes sense," Minako says with a sigh. This may say more about how Minako's brain functions, though, than anything else. Her head tilts for a moment as she thinks about it. Should she put her faith into Niko Kirisaki's way of thinking, though?

"Right, but there's a lot of kinds of fun, right?" Minako says. "Like, sometimes I do a long hike for fun. Or I read a good book for fun. But that's not ''partying'', right?"

Then, though, she blinks -- and she nods quickly. "Yeah, I know Escapade. I even went in a few times--there's this old monk there... and karaoke is great, too."

She cracks a smile again. She looks serious. "What about when you fought Kawase and Takeba?" she asks. "Is that partying?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Even Niko raises an eyebrow at that one. She doesn't hear she makes sense too often. Usually that's a pretty good indicator that she's stumbled upon somebody else who doesn't quite fit in. Curious, when judging from what she's seen so far, she'd say that Minako is someone who'd have no trouble fitting in with the Normal Crowd.

Such things, Niko also thinks about, but doesn't talk about. It's far more natural for her to flow into the conversation about the definition of partying, that was definitely the more important topic anyway. "Right, right. Because that's boring as shit, if you're doing it all by yourself. You'll never have as much fun by yourself as you could have with others around." That's the way she sees it, anyway.

Her smile brightens when she hears that Minako's actually been to Escapade. "Oh hey, rock on," she says, briefly throwing a sign of the horns. "So you've got the Guts, and already figured out the trick to acting like you belong there. Way to hold out on me, you made it sound like you were totally clueless." She pauses, smile fading briefly. "Monk's a sourpuss, but whatever."

When asked about those fights, the smile fades entirely, and she frowns... but not because she's displeased, per se. She's thinking about it. Did that count...? In the end, she shakes her head. "Nah. I had fun playing, but in the end, 's just work, y'know? Feels wrong to count work as partying."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
<poem>
The truth might be that Minako is the sort of weird that fits into ''most'' crowds.

"I dunno about that," Minako says. "Sometimes I want some downtime from being social! And sometimes I want to do it with a friend, too. But..." She trails off, as she thinks about it for a moment. "I like going out and having fun with folks."

She cracks a smile -- then she nods her head. "Yeah. Walk in confidently, and you're good," she says. "And hey--he's fun, once you get to know him."

A beat, then, as she listens.

"Just work?" she asks. "So... that sort of thing. That's your job, basically?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Niko's expression sours at the mere notion of 'downtime'. "I mean, you do you, I'd rather just have as much fun while-- as I can." Odd slip of the tongue there, but Niko won't leave an opening to ask after it. "So yeah, that's what it's all about, having fun with folks. You get it now, I officially name you a graduate of partying." You can almost hear her adding 'which is totally a thing, shut up'.

She fingerguns when Minako ''totally'' gets how to handle Escapade. "Got that right. That's how you get things done in life. You wouldn't believe how many people I've convinced I'm ''twenty''."

This is absolutely an accomplishment, since imposing physique aside, that is not at all a face nor an attitude that appears anywhere near twenty. In another world, she and Minako might have been classmates.

That would definitely have been another world, however. Even Niko tones down the flippancy dial when the subject turns to her job. "Well, yeah. Everyone's gotta live. Not all of us have a home to go back to."

She makes a displeased noise, before the smile returns, and she fishes a phone out of her shorts' pocket. A smartphone - it doesn't look cheap, nor very old. "Forget about that, let's talk fun. Gimme your number, we'll party sometime, 'kay?"

Oh yes, she's totally serious. Like she said, work is work, partying is something else entirely. This is what they call 'work-life balance'.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
<poem>
'As much fun while--'

It doesn't show in Minako's crimson eyes beyond a slight narrowing. But there is a look that speaks volumes. She will remember that; something about that slip of the tongue seems like it is something worth remembering. Even if she cracks a smile. "Hooray, I can add a degree in partying to my list of accolades~"

Then, her eyebrow raises. Minako actually whistles, softly; she is surprised that Niko pulled off looking twenty. She won't ask if she used it for crimes, however.

"...Yeah," she says. "Everyone's gotta live." She can't argue with that. Even if she doesn't approve -- she thinks she understands. Then, though, there is an offer. Minako hesitates for a moment.

"Sure," she finally says -- and hopes she won't regret it. She pulls her phone out, and holds it up, displaying her number.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Niko frequently says things she is 100 percent serious about in that exact same tone, so clearly she's not going to assume that Minako is any less genuinely happy about her new degree of partying. Job well done!

And then it's Niko's turn to puff out her chest, proud of her accomplishments in deception. Which, for the record, have absolutely been used for law-breaking purposes. "Telling ya, just act confidently and meet challenges head-on, that's how you get places." ...That's how she gets places, anyway. Looking like you could twist people into a pretzel probably helps a little bit in being convincing.

Niko absolutely hasn't been saying everything in regards to why she does the things she does, but... before she knew it, she'd said a little more than she meant to. It's strange, how she gets the sense that on some level, this girl understands. She didn't expect that much understanding to be possible, not from someone who isn't the same situation.

All the more reason to stay in contact, by her reckoning. After all, you only truly get to know someone by the way they party.

It's probably not in the least bit unsettling, how she keeps making giggle noises as she adds Minako's number, punctuated by saying out loud exactly how she's listing it. "Mi-na-chan~ There!" She tries it out immediately, sharing her number by means of calling Minako's phone. "Now, you be sure to list that as Niko-chan! If I find out you didn't, I'll be very disappointed."

Yes, Niko is pleasant enough while she's in a good mood. But who can say what she'd be like if she were to be disappointed? Or if she'd been rejected just now, for that matter? Perhaps there were no truly good choices to be made here.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
<poem>
"Hey, it's worked for me, too," Minako says. She ''is'' one of the co-leaders of SEES, after all. And she is the one more prone to rushing right in. Of course, she doesn't have a six pack like Niko does, so Minako has to go on boundless energy even more.

She keeps smiling -- even if her eyebrow twitches a little at those giggling sounds. She repeats, with a sigh: "Mina-chan?" she asks. Then, she does a little start as her phone rings.

"All right, let's see--add contact..." She presses a couple of buttons. Then, she looks up at Niko -- and she gives her a look, as she types. "Niko..."

She does a lengthy pause, for dramatic effect.

"...-chan," she says, as finishes typing.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
"That's what I like to hear," Niko responds to Minako's assertion of going through life the way Niko does, oh-so-casually adding, "We'll have to test that sometime."

No, she's not explaining herself on that one. 'What Did Niko Mean By This' is a question she actively hopes will keep people up at night. That means they're thinking about her, which is only ever a good thing.

Her phone ploy likewise works out the way she wanted, so she's all smiles after that. "Good work, Mina-chan!" she says, making a v-sign before putting her phone away. "Talked a little more than I meant to today, but next time - nothing but partying, I promise!" A promise, not a threat, honest. And then--

"Thanks, I had fun, see ya~"

--she just up and turns on a heel, making to head off in the opposite direction, humming a happy tune to herself. Absolutely in a good mood, having gotten exactly what she wanted.

...Wait. That can't have been what she was originally doing out here, could it? What was she ''really'' skulking around the SEES dorms for? That... may be a thing that both Minako and Niko won't consider until later. Even Niko herself isn't immune to the Niko Effect.
</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 1]]

2025-12-08: Gotta Make the Most of What You Got

2026-01-04T22:53:12Z

Fureasei: Created page with "*'''Log: Gotta Make the Most of What You Got''' *'''Cast:''' Niko Kirisaki, Shinjiro Aragaki *'''Where:''' Port Island Station - Back Alleys *'''OOC Date:''' December 08, 2025 *'''IC Date:''' August 22, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''Following the Yakushima trip, Shinjiro delivers a most appreciated souvenir to Niko. He also gives her his answer to the challenge she posed him: to figure out why she supports the Joker Killer. Despite the both of them knowing well they're..."

*'''Log: Gotta Make the Most of What You Got'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Niko Kirisaki]], [[Shinjiro Aragaki]]
*'''Where:''' Port Island Station - Back Alleys
*'''OOC Date:''' December 08, 2025
*'''IC Date:''' August 22, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Following the Yakushima trip, Shinjiro delivers a most appreciated souvenir to Niko. He also gives her his answer to the challenge she posed him: to figure out why she supports the Joker Killer. Despite the both of them knowing well they're on opposite sides, their friendship yet endures... but can it truly last?''

----

(|==================== Port Island Station - Back Alleys =====================|)
-======================================= Iwatodai City/Tatsumi Port Island ====-
The first thing one might notice is the conflict of old versus new. The
businesses here are more run down, but still stand defiantly, signs of rougher
dive bars and hangouts for the folk who don't quite belong in the sunlight of
Port Island. In the day, it's mostly drunks and people with nowhere else to go
who stand outdoors.

At night, the rougher elements of the town congregate openly amidst the rusted
chain link fences and litter-filled streets. Delinquent teens who never made it
into high school hang out, openly ignoring the laws decent people follow. All
who enter here are subject to at least seven pairs of eyes on them, deciding
whether or not someone belongs amongst them.

Better hope you pass muster, or you're gonna risk a beating.

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Finding Niko is not a fixed difficulty challenge. She has her common hangouts, but if the whim strikes her she could also just decide to suddenly go to a place she's never been. There are patterns to her behavior, they're just not particularly reliable patterns.

But, when in doubt, there is always the common congregation spot of the Port Island alleyways. If you're looking for anybody the label 'bad news' could be applied to, it's a solid place to start. Like attracts like, as they say. And yet, whenever she's here, Niko is most commonly seen by herself. Perhaps that aspect of the alleyways isn't why she's here.

Which doesn't mean that people don't know of Niko. Questioning the first readily available punk duo right by the entrance is quick to get results (as well as some Looks - they may wonder why Shinjiro isn't hanging around here so often, but they'd never ask). They did see Niko go deeper down the alleys a short while ago, she's probably still around somewhere.

With all the twists and turns back there, it could have taken a while to find one particular person... if it wasn't for the sound of humming coming from deeper in. Placing the melody would be impossible, Niko is making it up as she goes - but it is certainly Niko Kirisaki who's making that sound. If there was any doubt, it is decisively removed when she starts to sing - or speaking English really loudly in time with a melody, to more accurately describe what it's like.

Wait, stop, cease your clowning
Can't you see that you are drowning
Don't struggle - it's all futile

There is an awkward pause, before...

"Uh... shit."

Someone rhymed herself into a corner. At least it's very obvious now what actual corner she can be found standing in, rubbing her chin as she considers how she could salvage that musical car crash.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>Shinjiro hasn't seen Niko in almost exactly a month. He's been busy! But now that he's back from Yakushima, he has a gift to give her, and a challenge to answer... in that order.

Nodding to the punk who points him further in, he's dressed in his red coat and beanie, as he follows the sound of humming once he gets closer in. Singing in English... his English isn't great but he can pick out the intent of the song, at least.

"Hey, Niko!" He calls out as he hears it cease and is close enough to actually be seen. He has a bag around his arm, carrying multiple small objects.

"You seem like you're having fun," he says, clearly in a decent mood. "I brought gifts from a trip to Yakushima." Getting straight to the point, he reveals the bag...

And inside are several jam buns, wrapped in a way that preserves them for a bit.

"They're ponkan buns, something you can't really get out here. Kinda a cross between mandarin and pomelo, I think? Better than any melon bun I've had."

He moves closer to hand them over, should she want them.

"I would have gotten you something tangible but it all sucked, tourist trash, and I didn't want to return empty-handed either."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
For a fraction of a second, Niko's expression as her head jerks towards the sound of that voice implies that she's about to destroy whoever dared to interrupt her freestyle composition session. It's gone faster than you can blink, replaced by the sort of bright smile that Niko is more commonly known for.

"Heyyy, Shin-chan!" She's quick to help close the distance, raising a hand as she approaches. "Couldn't resist following the siren's song, couldya? That's not usually a great idea y'know, don't you know your mythology?" Niko knows her mythology, and therefore no one has a good excuse not to.

Sure doesn't look like he needs cheering up this time. Maybe joining back up with those friends of his was good for him, after all. Even if... nope, she's cutting those thoughts off there. There's more interesting things to think about. Such as--

"Ooh, gifts!" She blinks, her cheer instantly replaced by befuddlement. "Wait, gifts? For me?" And... food, no less. Even if she were capable of pretending she's not hungry, the stomach growl would have immediately given it away. In light of that, she readily accepts the buns, even if she visibly feels awkward about it.

"Huh. Well, um. Dunno what I did to deserve this, but..." She takes a bun out of the bag. That does look delicious. No point in just staring at it. With a shrug, she decides, "Eh, who cares? Take everything that's given to you, that's my policy." And with that... nom.

If her glowing expression and the way she wolfs down the rest of that bun is any indication, this gift was a great success indeed.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>"Don't worry, ears are stuffed with beeswax." Shinjiro knows his mythology, giving a small grin. He's certainly in a good mood... though if it's because of his friends or something else is unclear.

Niko sees the gifts, and is confused. Shinjiro sheepishly rubs the back of his head at that, but still holds them out. "We're friends, aren't we? I'm not going to *not* get you a gift just because we're on opposite sides of the battlefield."

SEES would probably be pissed off... but Shinjiro refuses to let bonds he likes go away. He has so little time... he has to cherish all of them.

His smile rises a bit as she wolfs it down. Good call! "Glad you like it," he says.

Taking a lean against the wall, he considers. "I've been thinking about the question you posed me. About why you support him. I've come to an answer."

What he knows about Niko from her own words, mixed with his own experiences and realizations, is sure to factor into it. He doesn't care if he's right or wrong...

Just that he tries to give a proper answer.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Nice, so mythology ''is'' Shinjiro's beeswax. Playing along with Niko always earns bonus points. Not that it looks like he needed them, if this reaction is any indication then gifting Niko food may be one of the better ways to get in her good graces. And Shinjiro already was to begin with.

'Friends', he says. One of Niko's favorite words. It's impossible for a proper response to happen until she's finished one of those buns entirely, but after that, she's more certain than ever: "Sure is good to be friends!" Being on opposite sides of the battlefield won't make a lick of difference to Niko, but she doesn't expect everyone else to feel the same way about that. She can work with it, either way... but it's nice when people are easy-going like that.

It's plain to see her consider whether to have another bun right now, but she decides against it, closing the bag and holding it at her side. Maybe Jin will get a bite. Or maybe she'll just taunt him with them. Depends on her mood.

"Oh yeah?" she responds with a raise of her eyebrows when Shinjiro starts the next topic. "I'd almost forgotten about that, I'm surprised you didn't." That was a casual lie. She absolutely would have remembered, and would have been disappointed if he forgot about it. But that doesn't fit her image, the image is important too. "Let's hear it then."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>Shinjiro's smile returns a bit when Niko affirms friendship. But as she chooses to not to take a second bun, instead saying she almost forgot...

His eyebrow rises, but he doesn't say anything. He doesn't know if he believes her because either option could be easily true, so he's taking her at face value.

Closing his eyes for a second to recollect his thoughts, Shinjiro nods. "I've done some thinking on what you've said, about being broken, about not enjoying killing yet supporting him, on the way you approach life. Why would someone who doesn't stand for what he does support him in it even so?"

His eyes open, looking over to Niko. "Then I thought about the pills we take. The sheer fact we're Persona users, and the fact that he's been active for a very, very long time." Shinjiro clearly knows *who* the Joker Killer is, after all.

"A belief like yours doesn't come from nowhere. A hedonistic zest even in the face of darkness. It must be personal. He did something, I don't know what... and taught you that there's something about life other than bleakly following the path set in front of you. You have to make your own and enjoy it, right? And even if life doesn't really *matter*..."

Shinjiro exhales. This is the hard part he's been grappling with.

"It doesn't mean you need to be a sadsack about it. Someone asked me if I shattered yet... perhaps I have, perhaps I haven't. But either way, in my short time left, I want to find some joy in life, too. My life fundamentally doesn't matter... lost at eighteen years old, never touched the world. But that doesn't mean you lie down and accept that, just sit there and watch the time waste away. No, you have some fun."

Shinjiro shifts his fingers around, letting blood flow a bit as he speaks. He's clearly had to learn some important things Very Quickly since they last met, but the question is why...?

"You've gotta make the most of what you do got, right?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
As easy as it can be to read Niko's surface feelings, with how uninhibited she appears to be, her deeper feelings and motivations are anything but. That's by her own design. It not that she doesn't want anyone to know. It's that part of her does, and part of her doesn't. Making a challenge out of it and seeing what happens was never entirely a game to her. Could someone like Shinjiro, who's spent a decent amount of time around her, actually get her, as much as it felt like he might?

If she didn't care about that, she probably wouldn't be so quiet, smile faded into a serious expression, as if hanging on his every word. She ''does'' care what he has to say, a great deal. She doesn't interrupt even once, not even for a casual gag. Her atypical silence may even be a little unsettling, given the way she just stares at Shinjiro, expression never changing, just shy of unblinking entirely.

"...Heh," the start of a chuckle escapes her first thing after Shinjiro's conclusion. The smile quickly returns at that point. "Well, I'm impressed. You actually put a lot of thought into it. 's not all of it of course, but, got a lot of good points in there."

She's not going to confirm or deny everything he said. That was never the point. Hearing Shinjiro's personal thoughts was. In that respect, what matters most of all is, "I'm glad you didn't cheat."

She doesn't explain that one immediately, instead she puts her hands behind her back, bun bag swaying behind her. "Sooo, to reward you, I'll tell you the most important thing. Ojisan did teach me something. And he's planning to let you all in on it, too. You don't want to miss his big announcement, or you're going to be very sorry."

As if she said nothing particularly ominous just now, she slings the bag over her shoulder. "I was pretty upset when I saw Ojisan's latest video, he already gave so much away. But I guess you either didn't see it, didn't put two and two together..." Her smile widens, having already decided on the option she believes is most likely. "...Or you decided to give your own answer anyway. I hope you'll decide to take your own advice. I liked it, for what it's worth."

A frown darkens her features. "...Well, most of it. Could've done with a bit less downer elements. Yeah, nothing much matters right now, but even so... you gotta have faith that there'll have been a point to it all. One day."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>Shinjiro is intent, at least, as he explains. He's not unsettled... this part of Niko is nice, too. That chuckle and smile get a smile of his own, as she affirms he did well, and she's glad he didn't cheat.

"Of course not. I know I wouldn't have gotten all of it, but... I wanted to be honest."

Niko gives him his reward. Sudou's planning something... another announcement?

"...his salvation," Shinjiro says, having indeed seen the video. Niko is right that he decided on his own answer anyway. "I'll tell you now. We'll probably be fighting again over this. He... took someone important to me, and even if he's right, he's some savior of a time traveler, I have to do this for her." For Aki, too.

Shinjiro smiles, oddly, despite the topic. "But I'll still be your friend."

Then, he straightens up, gentle smile still on his face. "I'm still learning not to be a downer myself. It'll take some time, if it even happens, but... I want to have hope in that, too."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
"Sure sure, that's fine," comes Niko's most likely expected casual response to having to fight again. Her smile, too, came back in short order. "The truth's a bit of a doozy, sooo... don't expect anyone else to be able to accept it so easily. But, in the mean time... I know what my role is. I'd just be making things even more difficult if I didn't keep playing it. So, Niko will keep doing her best~"

She can sound cutesy when she wants to. In fact, she can and will do anything she wants, whenever and however she wants to do it. That's Niko 101. For many that class is still in session. Even if Shinjiro's already got a passing grade, there's no rush in moving towards the more advanced subjects just yet, no reason to start an argument over differing viewpoints. Or... even explain them very well.

Since, in the end... they're still friends. "And that's what matters!" Niko affirms cheerfully, marking Shinjiro with fingerguns, the bag of buns hanging from one arm. They say the proof is in the pudding, but it's clearly in the buns.

As for Shinjiro becoming less of a downer... "Well hit me up if you ever need a little pick-me-up! I'll show you how to party." Niko is very good at making promises sound like threats.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
<poem>Shinjiro nods as Niko says she'll keep playing her role and will keep doing her best. He doesn't know how to feel about her having a 'role'... but right now isn't the time to address it. She can make her own choices.

He grins at the finger guns, though, before straightening entirely, stepping away from the wall.

"I'll take you up on that sometime. I have some errands to take care of while I'm out... I'll see you around, Niko."
</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 1]]

2025-11-30: A Fateful Moment

2026-01-04T22:51:22Z

Fureasei: Created page with "*'''Log: A Fateful Moment''' *'''Cast:''' Tatsuya Sudou, Takaya Sakaki, Niko Kirisaki *'''Where:''' Abandoned Factory, Konan Ward, Sumaru City *'''OOC Date:''' November 30, 2025 *'''IC Date:''' August 18, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''Most organisations have regular meetings, with itineraries, roadmaps, and a clear division of tasks. Strega has... whatever this is, with Play-Doh models, disembodied voices and vague allusions to fated events. Almost as an afterthough..."

*'''Log: A Fateful Moment'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Tatsuya Sudou]], [[Takaya Sakaki]], [[Niko Kirisaki]]
*'''Where:''' Abandoned Factory, Konan Ward, Sumaru City
*'''OOC Date:''' November 30, 2025
*'''IC Date:''' August 18, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Most organisations have regular meetings, with itineraries, roadmaps, and a clear division of tasks. Strega has... whatever this is, with Play-Doh models, disembodied voices and vague allusions to fated events. Almost as an afterthought, a frontal assault on SEES is set into motion.''

----

(|============================ Abandoned Factory =============================|)
-================================================== Sumaru City/Konan Ward ====-
For an abandoned factory, there sure are a lot of still-functioning machines
here. The dusty halls lead to various different rooms on multiple stories with
still-moving autowalks. It's unclear what these are for or what used to get
produced here, but they're a good way to get stuck--unless one can find the
password for the control room where the autowalk directions can get reversed and
take one out of here.

For those who really can't manage that, fortunately or unfortunately, parts of
the floors have rotted and are known to collapse, sending one on a rough drop to
the floor below. It's not a pleasant trip out, but one can always find a way out
of here. Either way, if this place is anything, it's a hangout for delinquent
teens. No respectable adults would come here unless they absolutely had to.

<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Sudou has posed.
<poem>
The good ole abandoned factory, which is Tatsuya Sudou's favorite home away from home. The other home was good for when Sudou needed alone time but there are days that this place felt more like home to begin with. That is why the new project that Sudou had been working on is being done smack dab in the middle of what one might refer to as Strega's living room.

Large plywood has been set on boxes, even the boxes labelled Jin's chair. Strewn around the boxes and plywood are several empty containers of Play-Doh. If Play-Doh was a drink, someone would think that Sudou went on a binger with Play-Doh. On the plywood is the actual Play-Doh, modeled into what one would guess is the beginning of that time in every person's life where they take up being a Dungeon Master. Carved walls and hallways with rooms mixed in, stairways denoted, and even multiple levels made up across the hall. There is even a hint of supernatural buzz to it, which may explain why every so often some of the little security guard looking snow men shaped figures bounce around.

Why did Sudou do this? What is it? Well whenever he has been asked this for the last two days he just looked at them and said that is a stupid question. Now though he sits at one end of his master piece just staring at it with a smile, hands laced together, and his glasses reflecting...when did he get glasses? That's probably not important, as he finally speaks, "It's finally done."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Takaya Sakaki has posed.
<poem>"Interesting..." Takaya steps into view behind Sudou as he celebrates his victory. The blonde Japanese man sips from a stale mug of coffee which might be mixed with something. He looks over the 'work' with a flick of his eyes, quickly appraising the work to be 'something'. Something he did not know. The liberal use of children's clay as a material gave the man pause.

"So...may I ask what it is?" Takaya sips his 'coffee' again, looking over to the book in his other hand.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Abandoned factories are alright, but you can't beat the good ol' abandoned warehouse back in Port Island, if you asked Niko Kirisaki. What's the difference? Why don't you ask Niko, you know asking her sensible questions always leads to sensible answers.

Speaking of people you can always expect sensible answers from, Niko recognizes kindred spirits in that regard, which could be why she hasn't asked Sudou about what the hell is up with this Thing he's been doing. Or just because she's not very interested in what things are going to be, if it doesn't do anything right now it doesn't matter. Aaaand she hasn't been around here for the past few days, that may also have had something to do with it.

Almost as if waiting for the appropriately dramatic moment, she arrives just when this 'project' is completed, stomping into the 'living room' and pointing a finger in Sudou's direction. "Ojisan! I have a bone to pick with you!" It takes less than a second for her to get distracted by-- "--have you been playing with clay? And you didn't invite me??"

That's... probably not the original bone she was talking about. Lent additional weight by the fact that she proceeds to address Takaya in a whining tone, "Takaya-samaaa, Ojisan's ruining my fuuuun." So about asking Niko sensible questions... is this one going to be worth a shot?

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Sudou has posed.
<poem>
Sudou looks up as the glasses fall off of his face, obviously not fitting save for that very moment. "Hmm? What is it? What is it you ask?" Sudou looks off to the corner of the room where no one is, "He want to know what it is. Yes, yes, I get it. I have to use my words." Looking back at Takaya he smiles, "It's a dungeon."

"Sudou makes sweeping arm gestures as he continues, "See over there you have the rooms where the inmates are kept. Over there you have the cafeteria. Over there is the janitor's closet, the wardens room. Right down there is where visitors have to check in...." Sudou continues to ramble on as it might be getting implied that this 'dungeon' is based on something a little more real. Somewhere along pointing out where the visitor restrooms were he looks at that same unoccupied corner again, "Me? Rambling? What do you mean I am explaining! FINE!" Sudou grumbles a bit and says a few unpleasant words under his breath before taking a deep breath and calming down.

That is when Niko storms in and interrupts Sudou before he can continue, and instead responds to Niko. "Niko I swore I asked you if you wanted to help. I remember it clearly you were asleep and in a very quiet inaudible whisper I said in a totally different room. Niko do you want to help me. You never responded so I assumed no. Don't worry though I wouldn't leave you out of the real fun."

One more grand sweeping arm gesture from Sudou, "This is the sanitarium, where I will be live streaming my big face reveal. Oh and killing a whole lot of people." Sudou smiles before he produces a little snowman figure who is wearing a mini paperbag on his head and put's it in the wardens office. Then he places a few more play-doh people off to the side, and close examination would show they are each Strega people. "Now who wants to be a dungeon boss?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Takaya Sakaki has posed.
<poem>Takaya drifts his eyes over to Niko when she starts whining about Sudou's activities. He smiles slowly and shakes his head. "I'll see if I can talk to him." He almost sounds like a TV Dad but smells distinctly of real dad energy (bad coffee spiked with alcohol).

He turns his head when Sudou begins to explain it all. In the way only Sudou can. A smile creeps on the cult leaders face, nodding his head as he takes it all in. "So you are proposing a strategy meeting?" Takaya tilts his head and sips his brew. "That is rather unlike you, Sudou. This must be quite the event you have planned. A Fateful moment as it were."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Niko is no stranger to how things work around here, Sudou's ramblings - explanings, yes, of course - just kind of bouncing off of her. None of that really matters right now anyway, when she has ''business'' to discuss. Business which she proceeds to distract herself from, and Sudou then throws entirely into disarray with his response. Niko raises a finger as she turns on him with a retort in mind, but... her head tilts, as she visibly considers. Is that what happened? If what he said is how that happened, it's probably likely that she'd have have missed it. Seems fair.

She shakes her head though, back to being upset by the time Sudou finishes his spiel. "Don't change the subject!" So she declares with a dramatic wave of the arm, only to realize, "...Wait that IS the subject! That video you did, where you told people the truth. Why would you do that, don't you want to keep people guessing? I was having fun making people guess, you can't just give away the answers!"

She looks over to Takaya for support. "That's what you always say, right? That we can't give people the answers, they have to discover the truth for themselves?" She's... pretty sure he said that at some point. Can't remember the context, but that hardly matters right now.

She runs a hand through her hair with a sour expression, clearly confused about this whole Thing Sudou appears to be planning. "So then, it's all leading up to something, is what you're getting at? Can you... say anything about what that something is? I mean, you know me, I'm in as long as it's fun, but I think the plan changed somewhere and I missed it. ...Did I sleep through that too?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Sudou has posed.
<poem>
Sudou looks up at Takaya and has a blank expression on his face, " A strategy whosit whatsit?" Sudou stares at Takaya's cup of coffee as he contemplates the statement, coming to a single conclusion, why will Takaya not share that wonderfully smelling coffee. Sudou regains some focus before he slowly shakes his head, "Nah meetings are more like dad's thing. I don't wish to contain us to such a formal expression of our ideas." Looking back to the 'dungeon' map he has laid out, "This is more like the beginning of a game."

Looking back to the corner for a moment, "Is it a fateful event? Huuh? You're going to go take a nap. You lazy disembodied voice!" Sudou picks up one of the walls of the sanitarium and throws it at the corner. "Fine don't need you for this." Sudou clears his throat and regains his composure. "The reason for the video, the reason for this and that too is that the bottom line hasn't changed. It's chaos." Sudou leans back on his box, acting like it has a backrest. "More and more people already know who I am under my mask. It use to just be the Suou brothers, but now even that discount Jun knows who I am I think. The secret is going to come out, so before that game is over I need to prepare a new one. My sleeping friend says that as long as I don't let them choose which game I play we will keep having fun."

Scratching the back of his head he sighs, "There is still a lot to do in preparation though. This isn't happening tomorrow or anything like that, I don't think anyways. Just when it does I am hoping all my fellow supporters are there with me."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Takaya Sakaki has posed.
<poem>Takaya nods along with Niko, smiling when she seems to attribute something to him. "True but an answer can sometimes cause reflection. Perhaps that is his goal." He looks over to the other man and shakes his head. He knows very well that while Sudou's visions could be reliable, they also had their detriments.

The leader of Strega does however see some follies in whatever this was. Still as long as it didn't take down the 'organization' they prided themselves on, Takaya could care less if Sudou was going to tell everyone his truth. As the man goes into his method, Takaya nods his head, letting the brew loosen him up with each invigorating sip.

"We will be there in some capacity." Takaya says flatly, knowing that is what Sudou wants to hear.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
As confusing as Sudou's language can be, he clearly does speak Niko's in denouncing meetings and framing things like a game instead. That's always a good way to make sure she's paying attention and won't fall asleep in the middle of it. Someone must not have done that and that's how she ended up missing what parses to her as a significant change in plans. Takaya seems to understand something about this on a level she doesn't, so what other explanation could there be? Don't answer that.

She starts, shaken out of her own thoughts by part of the model suddenly hitting a wall. "Whoa, whoa, hang on. Are we smashing it already? I keep telling you, you have to tell me when it's time to smash things."

Not yet though, Sudou makes clear. Sounds to her like the summary of what he's going on about is 'the game has changed'. But there still seems to be a game going, and the magical word 'fun' was used, so she can probably still get something out of this. Even so... it feels like she's been missing a lot in the conversation, so just in case, she refrains from immediately running her mouth again. Her look to Takaya isn't subtle at all, wanting to hear how he responds before she does. But after the (more or less) positive response...

"Alright, alright, I think I get it now. 'An answer can sometimes cause reflection'... so basically, you want to give them these answers and see their reactions. I see how that can be fun, too. They were never gonna guess the truth anyway, and they're never gonna believe it. Kinda playing the long game for that to pay off, but when it does... gonna be sooo much egg on their face, right?"

Having rationalized it in a way that makes sense to her, she gives a firm nod, and raises a fist. "Okay then! I can work with this, I'll totally be there, see how it goes."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Sudou has posed.
<poem>
Sudou looks at the two with a smile on his face, "Excellent. Now if you all could help me get the others on board. " Sudou looks at the map and smiles...and smiles..and then loses the smile. "Bored now."

Sudou stands up and stretches, "It feels like I have been sitting for 25 hours." Rolling his neck around he looks at Takaya, "So what about you, got any strategy meetings we should attend for the next step in the life of Strega?" It's a fair question as Sudou rummages through the Play-Doh containers with his feet looking for something. He swore he left a can of energy drink undrank somewhere.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Takaya Sakaki has posed.
<poem>Takaya's eyes widen briefly when Sudou presses him for plans on Strega. He smiles despite noting the gall of this man. It was as if Sudou was trying to test Takaya. He chuckles and shrugs. "I'm afraid I left most of my plans at another location. This said...I believe Strega's next step is to finally deal a blow to SEES. I also would like us to look into a number of things I have been reading about."

Takaya finds a stack of boxes that feel right and sits down, still watching the other two. "I think we need to make ourselves more terrifying to these meddlesome agents. We need to make a statement."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Ah yes, the 'bored now' mood. Niko knows that one quite well. Not so much the 'sitting for 25 hours' mood, she could never manage to stay in any one position for that long. Whatever mood it is that causes one to actually ask after a strategy meeting, that one's totally alien. She inwardly braces, but thankfully Takaya decides to keep things brief, for reasons that she doesn't pick up on.

What little he does say visibly pleases her to hear, if the growing grin and cracking of knuckles is any indication. "Oh hell yeah, I've been waiting for that. I've been messing with some of 'em, that's been fun, but they're not gonna get the message if we don't start wrecking their shit." Mainly because Niko is likely to get distracted from whatever message she was planning to deliver when she isn't acting under any instructions.

You can say that much for Niko - as much of a chaos gremlin as she is, she does listen to Takaya's every word. And more often than not, Sudou's, for that matter. Their vibes are very different, but they each have a way of speaking that impresses they know more of the truth of the world than she does. ...And it helps that they both tend to tell her things that she likes to hear.

"A statement, huh?" she questions, crossing her arms. "So what're you thinking? Go over there and mess up their dorms?" Please try to act surprised that Niko's plans begin and end with 'frontal assault'.

</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Sudou has posed.
<poem>
Sudou does give test, sometimes, when he is told to, and the testing material is provided, and he is walked through the test himself. His shadowy friend does a lot of the heavy lifting for those things. "Yes I can definitely say the last run in I had with some of them they didn't even fear me. Totally made me sad. I have been trying to figure out how to get them to cower in my presence like the others." Do people cower in Sudou's presence, that is not the question right now.

At the mention of messing with things that reminds Sudou of something, "Oh speaking of messing, Jun. I heard y'all messed with him...Good job. I know, I know, that Jun is not the Jun I have talked about. It saddens me too, so by all means please continue to mess with him. Let's see if perhaps that flower has the same roots as my Jun." A chuckle is given.

Sudou clears his throats and turns his attention back to Takaya on his throne, "Sorry, please continue. You were saying something about being more terrifying and burning down some poor students dorm?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Takaya Sakaki has posed.
<poem>But Takaya doesn't shut down Niko's idea. "If you can make it happen, that is certainly the type of statement we want to send them." Sometimes a frontal assault is exactly what you need to get someone's attention. He finishes his drink and sets it down, leaning back on his trash throne.

"If we want to attack their dorm, that would be the sort of statement we want to make...But we need to be wary of their counter attack. That's the thing about kicking the wasp nest, you almost always end up stung....that said, it is very sad that our lesser aren't fearing us."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
They sure did mess with Jun, didn't they? Though when Sudou says good job for it and urges to continue, Niko seems less enthused. "Well, if you think there's any point. Most people have fun reactions to being messed with, his have just been kinda boring. Must be the whole 'Normal Dude' thing, they just don't get it." Whatever 'it' is in this context. One could ask, but there's that thing about asking Niko questions.

Messing with SEES sounds comparatively more fun, but even Niko's surprised by her suggestion not getting shut down. "Whoa, really?" The tone and expression say it all, she was just saying whatever and expecting a better plan to happen. It's almost a relief to hear acknowledgement that it isn't actually that simple. "Yeah... I mean, there's kind of a lot of 'em, if it was just me getting swarmed that doesn't sound like a good time." She may be a little crazy but she's not stupid.

She has to laugh though, when Sudou has his own addition to the suggestion. "Oh Ojisan, always hearing what you wanna hear. I didn't say anything about it burning it down!" She considers that a moment, before looking to Takaya. "...Does burning a wasp nest work better than kicking it?" How much of this is still a metaphor?

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Sudou has posed.
<poem>
Sudou yawns as the lack of sleep catches up with him a little. "Perhaps we should go take over the tower they like to hang out at during the fun hour." Sudou scrounges with his foot a little more but frowns. No luck on that energy drink. "Well they are your toys so just tell me where you want me. Though I make no promise I won't sneak off and play with them myself." A devilish grin appears on his face before another yawn erases it.

Sudou moves instead to pick up his trench coat. "Niko, when it comes to messing with normal people the funnest thing is to stick them in un-normal situations and just watch. Sometimes they surprise you, sometimes you get to see what they on the inside. " From within his trench coat, that always appears to hold more then possible, he produces two poorly wrapped gifts.

Sudou hands the book shaped one to Takaya and the box shaped one to Niko. "Picked these gifts up for you guys. Niko yours is more of an everyone gift, but seemed up yours and Jin's alley." In Takaya's is a book of poetry from Akiko Yosano, and in Niko's, is Detonating Cats, the card game. "Didn't even rob the shop during the fun hour."

Sudou finds a corner and sits, "Hope..." Yawn. "they are enjoyed." Moments later Sudou is asleep, and not even an insistent Niko could probably wake him.
</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 1]]

2026-01-02: Claiming the Bride

2026-01-03T14:16:39Z

Fureasei: Whoops, typo'd NPC name

*'''Log: ''' Claiming the Bride
*'''Cast:''' [[Yua Ijuuin]], [[Miho Ijuuin]], [[Goro Akechi]], [[Reiko Shimizu]], [[Shinobu Shimizu]], [[Katsuya Suou]], [[Remi Ryuuja]], [[Gozaburou Gessou]], [[Umie Akabane]], [[Hyousuke Suzuki]], [[Julian Marlowe]], [[Jun Kashihara]], [[Tamaki Uchida]], [[Shiryuu Ryouhara]], Captain Shimazu (NPCed by Akechi), the Ooshiros and the Ijuuins, Tomoki Hasegawa
*'''Where:''' Alaya Shrine / Chrysanthemum Hall, Rengedai
*'''OOC Date:''' 2026-01-02
*'''IC Date:''' Tue, Sep 04 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Kimitake and Yua are to be wed -- in a traditional ceremony both imperialist and patriarchal. It's very concerning, particularly to everyone on Yua's side of the aisle... but Yua insists this is her path to happiness, despite seeming to have a panic attack in the middle of the reception. Kimitake supports his wife, but he doesn't go so far as to rebuke Captain Shimazu's rank nationalism. And Miho has a date for the wedding, which means they both have men beside them...''

----

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 1]]

<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
<poem>

OST: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6cgbYlFEzs Silent Hill f - Mayoi Uta

The ''Shinzen'' wedding -- wedding before a Shinto altar -- is a Meiji-era tradition which at least claims to have much ''deeper'' roots; fanciful claims it suits the old families to support. Long ago, it was the ''abduction of the bride'' which fueled ceremonies -- ceremonies which lasted ''days,'' the bride brought to the groom's home in a shrine box...

Some of those ''artifacts,'' at least, survive to the present day.

Today -- ''after school,'' notably, by the bride's request -- the purification rites at Alaya Shrine and their votive offerings frame a ''rather'' tall groom with dark green hair and light brown eyes, dressed the traditional samurai's ''hitatare,'' bearing Ijuuin's crest upon his ''haori...'' and his beautiful bride. Yua's teal hair has been done up in the ''bunkin takashimada'' style -- something normally complex enough to warrant a ''wig,'' which means that the fact that her hair has been styled so is a subtle comment on the resources availed to the Ijuuin. The 'horns' of the style are hidden by her white ''tsunokakushi'' headdress, rectangular folded cloth worn across her forehead, hiding her hairline and the curves of her hair. The dark tawny skin of her face and neck has been lightened by ''uguisu no fun,'' ancestral makeup which is an elite luxury item in the modern day; her hands, clad in sheer white gloves with thicker fabric on their backs, are often hidden by her pure-white ''shiromuku'' kimono, symbolic of the death of the life she led before.

(In Japan, a woman enters the man's household and thereafter joins his family; there is no consideration for a wife to belong to ''both'' the hearths of her husband and her mother, as they think in Okinawa.)

The priest steps up, and speaks, offering prayer to the Gods... and ''explaining'' those prayers, to the gathered.

"Izanami-no-Mikoto," 'She-who-Invites,' "the last of the Gods who came into existence after Heaven and Earth, gave birth to the archipelago of our existence with her husband, Izanagi-no-Mikoto," 'He-who-Invites.' "... from the first Gods were they given this sacred task, together. When they circled the Pillar of Heaven to meet each other, Izanami spoke first to her husband, thus displeasing Izanagi, thus deforming their children. It was only with the wisdom of their elders that they learned their folly, that Izanagi must speak first, and so today will we hear the words of our honoured groom Kimitake Ijuuin as he speaks his vows. It is the husband's duty to attend to his wife's evils, as we saw when Izanami swore to destroy a thousand lives a day after her sorrowful death and existence in the Underworld... for on hearing such a rage, he swore to give life to a thousand and five hundred lives. We see from Izanami's tale the potential for destruction held within a woman... but the women of this clan respectfully hide their horns with their ''tsunokakushi,'' so that they can become faithful and considerate wives."

He grasps a sake cup, though, as he brings it to the couple. (What is consecrated there is ''amazake,'' non-alcoholic rice wine, but the cups were certainly ''designed'' for sake.) "But first, the nuptial ''sake cups,''" the priest says, as Kimitake and Yua sip from them, three times. "A cup for heaven, earth, and humanity... a cup for the past, present, and future," he narrates, as he passes ''another'' cup to them, and they sip three more times, "... and a cup for the couple and their families," a third cup is passed between them.

It is a slow process; it is a promise. It is the ''san-san-kudo,'' three-three-nine times, as the couple shares sacred rites together.

"Now," the priest says, "we will hear the groom's speech."

And Kimitake turns to the crowd, his features severe but his ''expression'' quietly pleased. "When I first met Yua-san at a family gathering, hiding behind my cousin Miho-san, she was captivating. The eyepatch across her face only enhanced her vulnerability and her beauty, and she was so shy around us... my Uncle, the Father of our Clan, was fortunately able to arrange for us to come together formally. We will forever be in debt to his wisdom and his generosity in allowing such an embattled woman to find safety beside me... and I am honoured to be tasked with protecting her, and all our children going forward."

Their families, too, been given cups of that ''amazake,'' so that they might cheer "''Kanpai!''" at the end of that speech... and one of the few concessions Yua won for this ceremony is the consideration of ''Remi'' as part of her family party, such that she is given a cup alongside her father Fuyu and young Yume Ooshiro.

Kimitake slips a wedding onto Yua's finger, then, removing her glove to reveal a dark hand which he slips that rich mokone gane ring onto; it clips in against her engagement ring, to make something more difficult to ignore. So too does she place a ring upon his finger -- after he has secured her.

The glove on her ''right'' hand, it seems, will remain.

The priest offers sacred evergreen to the altar, to beseech the Gods for their protection, and then...

Then, it is time for the guests to move to the ''reception hall.''

Chrysanthemum Hall is within walking distance of Alaya Shrine -- walk a little further, and you'll hit Lotus Plaza, but the function hall is a rich environment to host a crowd. Their guests are welcomed at the entrance, and since this is a ''public'' wedding, no one's attendance is checked -- they are only asked if they're ''special guests.'' (Guests such as family or Remi need to be checked off, after all, as they're ''part of the programme.'')

The ''kekkon hiroen'' -- the wedding reception -- is of course accompanied by a banquet, though only the ''appetisers'' are placed out for consumption in the area of the hall designed for guests to mill about in; a full course of dinner shall of course be served, later on, with sashimi and soup and yakimono and ''nimono'' and gohan and desserts...

Right now, though, there are appetisers: ''datemaki,'' sweet rolled omelets, ''kuromane,'' black soybeans, ''kazunoko,'' herring roe, and delicate, small portions of rolled fish, ''sakizuke.''

On display, here, is the Wedding Trousseau -- their dowry -- items dating back to the Meiji or even ''Edo'' periods displayed in cases for the public to view. In a place of honour are their ''maki-e'' shells decorated for ''kai-awase'' -- the shell-matching game. Three hundred and sixty clam shells have been hand-painted with scenes from the Tale of Genji, and two shells each feature the same scene exactly, representing the harmony of the bride and groom's pairing. (Details of this Heian-era game are placed on a plaque beside the shells, which are reportedly from the Edo era.) A tea ceremony chest from the Meiji period is another strong draw, as are screens and paintings from the Tale of Genji, dating across the Meiji period... aside from ''one'' screen, which dates to the ''Edo'' period. A set of Meiji-era dolls are beautifully designed; as is a mirror and mirror stand from that era. There is a tooth-blackening set from the Edo period, alongside a beautiful Edo-era comb. Plaques explaining these wonderous items explain that the bride's dowry is passed down through the family; the Ijuuin's trousseau has been built over hundreds of years.

... and ''this'' wedding's contribution to the gifts is a fine pair of shiisaa statues, beautifully shaped and painted, detailed as the Ooshiro's formal dowry gift which shall join the dowry until times immemorial. The Shiisaa, it states, are guardian lions who protect homes from evil; on the left, the female lion's mouth is closed to keep good spirits inside the home, while on the right, the male lion's mouth is open to scare evil spirits away from the home.

Yua's father and little sister, Fuyu Ooshiro and Yume Ooshiro, are here in their traditional ''ryuso'' -- Okinawan garments analogous to but distinct ''from'' the kimono -- with Fuyu's blue patterned ''ryuso'' tied back with a golden girdle, and Yume's pink floral arrangement secured with a pin. Kimono are the traditional mode of dress for a wedding like this... but one of the ''other'' concessions Yua won for this wedding was allowing their guests to attend in festive ''yukata'' instead, because she didn't want them to suffer ''heat stroke.'' Yume, in particular, might be familiar to students of Seven Sisters -- she's a second-year, part of Newspaper Club, and a real whiz at English class.

Kimitake and Yua Ijuuin -- in that order -- will take a few moments to appear... and those versed in traditional weddings will realise that this is because Yua needs to adjust her ''outfit.'' But there is time to mill about, as they enter the reception hall, and find any friends who might have also attended today! All the students at Yua's schools were ''specifically'' invited...

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
<poem>

Miho Ijuuin, too, is tall. Obviously she is here, at her best friend's wedding--at her cousin's wedding. One would expect nothing less... particularly not those who remember the 2008 Olympics, where Miho pronounced that she would find Yua Ooshiro wherever she had gone.

Today, Miho wears a highly formal kimono. Her furisode has a black base and a pattern of pine, bamboo, and plum--the 'Three Friends of Winter'. They symbolize resilience, integreity, and perseverance through hardship... But how many know that this is itself a hardship? Few. But for Miho, to watch her lover marry her cousin is certainly apt for the wintertime her birthday presages.

Her long, hanging sleeves are a sign of her youth; while Miho can be very commanding, in matters of family she is the youngest, the 'baby' of the Ijuuin main line. Almost always, she gets what she wants...

But is this it?

She is part of the ceremony, but not a large part. Her role has been one of prepration. She listens to Kimitake's speech, but through the wedding, her attention continues to slide to Yua herself. Hiding behind her, Yua had been...

She waits. She watches. The rings are placed...

Miho, obviously, is a special guest at Chrysanthemum Hall. She finds time to stand near Remi as they walk over, and she looks to Remi as she does. "..." She says nothing.

Her eyes linger on the statues, too. The shiisaa...

She is there, waiting for the bride and groom, at the end. There are others here, of course; Ichika Kawase, the only member of the future Newspaper Club at Kasugayama; Ayame Watanabe with her husband, here to support her friend, and more.

But Miho's brown eyes stay focused on the place where the bride has come. She will not need to have notes for her speech. But... She's also not alone! Which is the main reason Miho isn't glowering or otherwise silent. Instead, she occasionally laughs at the jokes of a man even taller than her own six feet, talking in an easy, smooth way with him. He is a handsome man, a movie star, arranged as her date for the reception--because of course she must have a ''date''. Tomoki Hasegawa is almost thirty but youthful, often playing romantic leads in big movies. He asks Miho a lot of questions about the traditions, and those near them can be enlightened by her answers.

She stands with him now.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Remi Ryuuja has posed.
<poem>

Remi has a lot of feelings about this wedding, and none of them she can express. At least not publically. But if she is required to smile and be supportive, then that is exactly what she'll do.

What is one more mask to wear, among the several she already juggles?

It may have been quite some time since she was last at an event of such formality and deep tradition as this, but Remi's cultured upbringing serves her well. And while Yua won concessions for her father and sister for their traditional dress, Remi (with the generous assistance of both Miho and Yua, of course), has taken the initiative on her own style.

More specifically, she has blended in notes of her French heritage while respecting the Japanese customs. Her long, honey-blonde hair, normally worn loose, is today styled into a French chignon--a type of bun that is often worn at formal events like weddings. It is secured with a pearl hairpin, and two locks of her hair have been left loose to frame her face.

She is wearing a pair of emerald studs (they make the green flecks in her brown eyes pop) and light makeup. And of course, as befits the status of an unmarried young woman, she is wearing a traditional furisode, but again, with a Western touch: the base is a dark forest green, but it is decorated with bold red roses. And her outfit is topped off with an elegant champagne-colored obi.

She stands 5'6"--much taller than the average woman in Japan, and though she has blended in her French heritage she still knows all of the customs, and walks in her kimono with grace. (She, at least, will not be complaining of potential heat stroke--indeed, the more covered up she is, the more comfortable she ultimately is, handling the summer heat with aplomb.)

Still, despite her close friendship with Yua (and their shared hardships), she was ''deeply'' humbled to have been told she would be included with Yua's family as part of their party. It is a simple act, yet a deeplyu meaningful one... especially considering she has yet to get back in touch with her ''own'' family. She's done her best to be supportive of Fuyu and especially Yume--since Yua was undoubtedly busy with other arrangements. And when the time comes, she accepts her amazake with grace, and cheerfully shouted "''Kanpai!''" with everyone else.

She finds herself naturally falling into step with Miho as they head to the hall. Miho doesn't say anything. Remi doesn't either. She looks to her friend and just nods.

It's okay, Miho. You don't have to say it.

She will observe the statues as well as the rest of the cultural artifacts with interest. The circumstances may not be ideal, but she ''is'' still interested in the history and traditions. And they'll keep her mind off of other thoughts as she waits for the bride and groom to appear.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Reiko Shimizu has posed.
<poem>

Reiko is one of the few people ''not'' in a kimono or yukata here. Instead, given that she was invited in part because she is a police officer, she is in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's dress uniform: a navy blue cap, a white collared shirt, and a navy jacket and skirt. Her hair is pinned up underneath the cap; she has a tie on, too, and white gloves.

She shifts, a little nervously. She stands out compared to a lot of the people present -- one of the few ''not'' in traditional Japanese dress -- but it's an important statement.

She joins with the others, saying "Kanpai!"

And once they're inside Chrysanthemum Hall, she exhales softly -- and glances sideways at her sister, Shinobu. "I... think those artifacts aren't replicas," she says, quietly. "I didn't realize how wealthy they must be. Or, uh..."

A gloved finger scratches her cheek. "Traditional?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
<poem>

Goro Akechi's arrival may cause some murmuring. "I seem to have made quite a stir." He says with a smile because - he's purposefully out of dress code.

He's wearing a Western Tuxedo, the kind that one might see at a Black Tie event, the one concession he's made is that the typical white button up shirt has been replaced by one that appears to be light blue.

Just off-color enough to evade both wedding associations ''and'' associations with death.

He sets down a Shugi-Bukuro envelope on the table as his Goshugi, an entirely appropriate amount for a wedding that few teenagers could ever afford.

But most teenagers don't run their own detective agencies and make TV appearances either!

The Alaya Shrine. A horrible murder occurred here ten years ago. But one could say the same for so many places, couldn't you? The curse of being a Detective is knowing how many places ''could'' have angry ghosts, and not believing a single one of them exists.

He listens to the prayers, watches the rituals. His expression grave... this has happened for thousands of years on this island they call Japan. Yet for some reason he can't find a reason to say 'Kanpai' when the time comes.

At the reception, he strides up to Miho, holding a sake cup, and one of something non-alcoholic for himself. "Ah, Ijuuin-san. It was a beautiful ceremony wasn't it? Forgive me if we haven't been introduced previously - being a Detective means often having an unfair advantage over those he meets. I'm Goro Akechi."

He holds out the Sake cup to her, "And I do believe that the cousin of the groom shouldn't lack a drink in her hand for the rest of the night. Don't you agree?"

He's smiling, he's smiling as he does something so very thoughtful for her.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
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Shinobu has not had many occasions to attend weddings. And certainly not a wedding like ''this'' - highly formal, highly traditional... everything she's not. But she's been invited, and Yua seemed ''so'' happy when she accepted the invitation, so it's too late to get cold feet now... especially when she's already passed the invitation along to her sister.

She has her thoughts about the speech, about everything here, but she keeps them to herself. She does and reacts in the way that's expected of her, because she doesn't want to rock the boat when she's been so kindly invited in.

She can relax a little bit more when they're inside Chrysanthemum Hall - even if she still feels out of place, with even a single one of those artifacts her sister points out probably being worth more than everything she owns put together...

"I ''thought'' I knew. But I'm still floored." Shinobu admits to Reiko with a sheepish laugh - and nods. "...''Super'' traditional."

She's... made an ''effort'' to dress formally, today. She's dressed in yukata, because that's the nicest outfit she owns and she can't really afford to rent something more traditional - hers a dark green, with a subtle floral pattern in lighter green and bound with a dark blue obi.

She offers Reiko an encouraging smile, though. She can tell she's nervous about all this. ...She is too, a bit.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>
Hyousuke had been unsure about attending the wedding. He knew Ooshiro-sensei, of course - she was a little difficult to ignore, after all. But he did not know her well. He certainly did not think he knew her well enough to attend an affair as intimate as a wedding, even if the invitation had very explicitly been to any who wished to attend. Yet, the invitation stood regardless, and he could not even use the excuse that he could not secure traditional dress. A rental yukata - plain as it was, with little more embellishment than some dark stripes to contrast the charcoal-grey fabric - was available in his size.

Hyousuke had been unsure of whether he could sit still enough to not cause a bother during the ceremony. He knew he was not a patient man, and the entire affair was unfamiliar to him. He knew nothing of when to speak, where to look, who to follow - he was very clearly out of place amongst every other person gathered. Yet, he remained, doing his level best to blend in despite every fibre of his being seemingly working against that one aim. Silently, he hoped that whatever indiscretions had been detected could be forgiven on account of him having no experience with weddings, let alone traditional ones.

Hyousuke was unsure of what he was supposed to do once the ceremony was over. As unpleasant as he had found it - if only because of its unfamiliarity - the implied instruction of 'be quiet and respectful' had been enough to go on. The reception hall, however... There was nothing to direct him. The guests all tended to their own business, Ooshiro-sensei was not available for him to pass on his well-wishes so he could leave what he supposed had been a terrible idea from the start, and he did not even see a face he recognised and could latch onto.

Hyousuke was sure that he should have made an excuse - whether to himself or to Ooshiro-sensei - but it was too late for that now. He supposed he could busy himself reading the plaques for the time being, and - if he saw someone else pick at the appetisers on offer - take a piece or two for himself. Even with that plan of action though, he was very visibly uncomfortable with the entire thing.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Gozaburou Gessou has posed.
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Such a lovely ceremony...if you are into that sort of thing. Gozaburou Gessou is not. Still Gozaburou Gessou loves a party, if he can use it as a networking opportunity. And this ceremony was a big deal. Lots of opportunities!

Which is why Zabu is dressed to the 9s but in his way. Rather than going traditional, Gozaburou is dressed in a very dark purple tuxedo, almost appearing black unless the light catches it just right. In addition, he has a black silk dress shirt and a bow tie that matches his tux.

Zabu himself was of average height...maybe even short compared to some here. His hair is swept to one side of his face, hiding dark eyes. His glasses are always rectangular frames that match his suit. To anyone who looks his way, Zabu flashes the smuggest of smiles.

To Zabu's side, a intern sits nervously clutching a DSLR camera with the task of capturing pictures and video of the event for the show. They are dressed in one of Zabu's other suits...Don't worry folks! The intern will be paying for the dry cleaning out of their own pocket.

When the reception begins, Zabu is busy giving orders to his intern. "Right. Make sure to get me in front of this lovely dowry. I know the older viewers eat this cultural stuff up." He stops walking before turning to the intern. "Right. Go snap some b roll for the segment."

Gozaburou makes his way over to the Miho, smiling widely. "Ijuuin-san, we're excited to have you on the show when we can arrange it. How are you?" He turns his head to Akechi, smiling somehow even brighter..such is the magic of stardom! "Akechi-san! I hope there isn't something afoot! Haha-ha"

Remi doesn't escape Zabu's notice, his smile turning into a smirk. He merely nods as he turns back to Miho and Goro.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
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Surely, there is an end to Umie's thirst for answers. Today is not that day.

Umie combs a tendril of hair back into place with a pale lavender nail, Umie turns her head, examining the chignon bun for any further signs of succumbing to the early September heat. Next comes the off-white gloves, which she adjusts with a nervous sort of fastidiousness. While the off-white of the cloth set her nail color off nicely, there's no escaping the fact that people may notice a similarity between her and the bride in their choice of hand wear.

A least her yukata rental looks pretty, if more muted in tone than she's used to: an off-white tone overset with a tan-colored pattern of bellflowers, accented with spots of yellow, three-petaled flowers. and splotches of mint green. A white slip is worn underneath due to the fabric's light weave. She frowns as she takes one last look in the mirror. What is she doing...?

The metaphorical lock on this mystery is noisy; it will rattle the more she picks at it.

--------

It turns out the only lockpicking that'll happen so far is Umie possibly picking at the appetizers, after sweating through the slow procession at Alaya Shrine. While her nerves were on fire in a different, more anxious way thanks to the old shrine looming ahead (please don't think of the murder that happened here, Umie, stop it), the comparatively air-conditioned accomodations of the Chrysanthemum Hall is like a balm on the soul.

Pausing to look at the differences between Ooshiro's family dress and the dress she saw during the wedding itself, as well as the shiisaas. (.... Ah, so that's where those beasties hail from.) The shugi-bukuro she sets down is handmade, the money inside an unsuspicious but sufficient amount. As brown eyes take in the guests, Umie finds herself recognizing quite a few, whether by sight, or her own more hidden senses pinging like little alarm bells, signaling other Persona users both familiar and unfamiliar.

Umie herself, of course, remains compulsively hidden from such 'eyes', but during the wedding itself, there were a few spikes of anxiety that temporarily unveiled herself, like a sparrow being sent scattering into the night from a disturbed bush.

She hears Akechi's voice nearby and looks up, somehow unsurprised that he's here in some fashion, but her attention is immediately drawn to the tall person he's talking to-- no, the tall couple(?).

... Specifically the one with the dark green hair. It's like a subtle pulse that ricochets up Umie's spine, freezing her in mid-step. Ah, this is the person Yua had mentioned, possibly.

It'd be polite to not just stand there but, with Akechi taking the spotlight, Umie simply uses that time as a means to composes herself. (... Is it just her, or does Akechi's smile seem....)

There's a lot about this wedding that needs words that Umie just can't quite put her finger on.

"You must be the person the bride told me about," she finally says, when she sees an in, putting up a smile of her own. "She never mentioned you were this impressive."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Haru Okumura has posed.
<poem>
The young daughter of the Okumura family also makes an appearance at this auspicious occasion - in part because of the family's business connections, but also because of the invite extended to each and every student at Yua's schools.

Of course, she doesn't arrive unescorted, arriving with Hisayoshi Sugimura to keep up appearances - despite the man's surprising lack of respect for the traditions for such a conservative young man. "I've got other arrangements tonight. You may as well go play with the other students. The bride ''is'' your teacher, yes?" He mutters, as the car door opens, Haru stepping out dressed in a neat and formal kimono. "We'll rendezvous after the ceremony. You might as well watch, maybe you'll learn something."

The door of the car slams shut, the chauffer quickly driving away. Truthfully, Haru is relieved to know she doesn't actually ''have'' to spend the wedding with him. Instead, she heads into the Chrysanthemum Hall to see if she can find any of her classmates before it's time to give her regards to the bride and groom.

Still, Haru can't help but feel a little out of her depth as she takes in the somewhat solemn, traditional atmosphere of the wedding. Though she doesn't see Yua just yet, Miho has quite the strong presence herself. And among the guests... none stand out more than the Detective Prince himself. Haru is a little nervous to see him here, but she reminds herself she isn't here as a Phantom Thief. They're both guests, tonight.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Katsuya Suou has posed.
<poem>

In any other circumstance, Katsuya would have been in proper alignment of the dress code, even if it had meant that he would have to rent a men's kimono (he only recently has had reason to buy a yukata; he has never owned traditional Japanese formalwear). But there's one reason that he's here, and it's because he's a cop.

He may be a homicide detective first, but he is a police sergeant by rank. As such, there is an associated dress uniform, though it's one that he hardly ever wears. Today is the appropriate day for it, to express his wishes and alignment with his colleague, Kimitake Ijuuin. Similar to Reiko, his attire is crisp and similar in color, but the Sumaru blue is a little more saturated, his uniform displays the insignia of his rank, and of course he wears blue dress slacks instead of a skirt. One day, women on the force will no longer have the skirt as part of their uniform but, alas, that change is still a ways off from the summer of 2012.

He's been to a few weddings, he considers, but never before a traditional Shinto wedding. Most people his age have a 'Western' wedding. He of course had read up on what was involved, but...

...but his mind also, like Akechi's, strays to an incident that occured here on these grounds ten years ago. It would have been in the late summer, wouldn't it. The killer was never caught.
...He thinks that he knows why.

As the priest speaks, he's reminded of something. Izanagi had gone to the underworld to retrieve his wife, but had disobeyed her when she asked him to not look upon her decayed body. Then he had fled her, then he had divorced her. And then...

But Katsuya still does as ceremony dictates, and doesn't speak about any of the things running through his mind.

He approaches Reiko, marking her as a fellow officer, if from a different jurisdiction. "It's good to meet you, I am Sergeant Katsuya Suou with the Sumaru Police. Ijuuin-san is a superior officer," he remarks, then, notes the woman at her side. "...Shimizu-san. It has been a little while." Glancing between the two of them, he notices something else. "Forgive me, but are the two of you... sisters?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>

Let's be real: Kasugayama's faculty probably wouldn't care enough to send an official chaperone along for most events that students were encouraged to attend. But Julian Marlowe came to the wedding anyway, quite possibly having volunteered himself for the role of ensuring the students don't act ''too'' disruptively. He may be generally lenient, and this may be a public event, but this is still a wedding, it wouldn't do for someone's big day to be spoiled because someone felt like acting out at the most inappropriate time. Not on his watch! Unless you want to be sentenced to mandatory counseling sessions.

He did find it rather hard to judge whether Yua would appreciate his presence. Even if the exact reasons for it elude him, it wasn't hard to tell that she didn't like him, so he respectfully kept his distance during the day-to-day. Perhaps showing he cared enough to be here would go some way towards mending that cracked bridge. He went the extra mile to appear in Japanese garb for it, wearing a dark brown, unpatterned kimono with matching haori. Nothing too fancy or formal, as he understood was most fitting for guests at such an event. Not that he doesn't still stand out here, with his 6 feet, obvious western appearance, and that eternal monocle in his left eye.

Still, he tries to blend in as best he can and not get in anyone's way, silently observing the reception by himself from the sidelines, snacking on some datemaki. Which he nearly chokes on when someone suddenly slaps him on the back.

"Yo, Counsel Boss!" A smirking, gum-chewing girl still wearing her (modified, off-color) Kasugayama uniform greets Julian as he tries to dislodge what got stuck in his throat. "Nasty cough. Aughta get that looked at."

After recovering, Julian shoots her a displeased frown. "<Miss> Shiranui. A casual event is not an invitation to be casual with me. And did I not tell you to stop calling me that?"

The girl looks unimpressed and uninterested. "Musta slipped my mind. Anyway, didn't catch nobody tryin' nothin', and this party sucks, so I'm out. Later!"

Julian sighs as he watches the girl wander off. For those keeping track, this wasn't his regular errand girl, Tomoyo Harayama. This was the third year Kotoha Shiranui, formerly a lone wolf at Kasugayama until after summer break, when she suddenly started calling Julian Boss. ''He'' knows why, but no one else does, so... rumours abound about this fan club he's starting to gather. And neither of its 'members' are helping.

If it's all the same to everyone else present, he'll take another moment to get his bearings back before making any attempts to mingle.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
<poem>

The wedding is at least not far from Jun's home or school--just a train ride from Hirasaka Ward to Rengedai Ward, a trip Jun frequently takes anyway to visit their father at his job, then down to the Alaya Shrine. He's dressed in a dark men's kimono--changed at Seven Sisters High School with their father's support to avoid that heat stroke Ooshiro-sensei is so worried about--with his black hair perfectly coiffed as always to curtain over one of his brown eyes.

He doesn't think of a certain incident that took place at Alaya Shrine ten years ago. Why would he? Jun had nothing to do with it, and it had nothing to do with him.

It's a lovely ceremony, at least to someone who knows nothing of the greater context. There's only a slight nag of something off to Jun, who dismisses it as the summer heat. Chrysanthemum Hall and its air conditioning are consequently even lovelier.

Though there's food, Jun eschews that for the moment to admire the dowry gifts, in particular the shiisaa statues. It's all extremely traditional. If only his father had the time and an invitation to come; as a world history teacher, Jun's sure he would love it.

Especially when he overhears someone remarking that those artifacts aren't replicas. Jun glances over at Reiko and Shinobu. "It ''is'' quite impressive. I'm happy for Ooshiro-sensei," he remarks, offering the two a subdued smile.

His gaze travels from there to Hyousuke, reading the plaques and looking plainly uncomfortable. "...Suzuki-kun, hello," he says, smile growing a bit warmer. It shifts into a look of concern. "Are you all right? You seem a bit... fatigued."

'Fatigued' is not really the word, but if Hyousuke wants to claim it's the summer heat from the walk over, it'll let him do that.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>

Tamaki is present at this wedding, at least in part because she and Yua have occasionally seen each other around Aoba and other brief chance meetings elsewhere, invariably within the proximity of schools. (Yumezaki, though? No, never.) For reasons similar to Shinobu's, she's dressed in her summer yukata, the one with a navy-blue ''uroko'' pattern, though she does feel a little self-conscious about wearing a necklace of Buddhist symbolism to a Shinto wedding.

Another part is that she is curious to see what such a wedding would be like, to know what she had missed out on with her own ended engagement. This may perhaps help her to get a better handle on what she feels, or how she ''should'' be feeling.

Then there's the matter of ''Miho'''s past insistence on finding Yua, yet Kimitake is the one here marrying her -- this, too, causes Tamaki to Feel a Certain Way about someone else who she was fond of, but has given up on finding again.

She wonders: Was she wrong to do so?

She does take notice of Remi's presence with the family, though her association with Miho and Yua comes as no surprise to her.

Her own work is, perhaps, the furthest thing from her mind. This occasion touches on things more personal to Tamaki, but not in her pursuit of answers pertaining to the supernatural.

The lower lid on one of Tamaki's eyes twitches around the time the priest speaks of the husband's role to 'attend to his wife's evils.' While she doesn't feel like she's dodged a bullet, it does leave a bit of a solid taste in her mouth, having had the exact opposite dynamic with some boys and men in her own life.

Something tugs at her memory about how Yua's right hand remains gloved, though she can't pinpoint ''what'', exactly.

The guests are shuffled to the reception hall, soon enough, and here arrives Tamaki's third purpose in attending: the ''food''. After placing her gift envelope on the table, she blissfully dines on a few rolled omelettes, taking care to not spoil her appetite before the main courses.

It's here that she sees Hyousuke hovering nearby, waiting for someone to break the invisible seal placed on the appetizers. She's more than willing to take that initiative! She notices that he seems to be alone and very out-of-place, so she tries to throw him a line: "Suzuki-kun? Is that you? It's good to see you here!" Moments later, she notices Jun and gives him a wave as well. "Ah -- and hello to you, too, Kashihara-kun! I can leave you both to it, if you'd like."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shiryuu Ryouhara has posed.
<poem>

They are next to invisible.

There is a particular gift left amidst the other gifts, resting alongside the special folded brocade envelopes and teacup sets: A artisanal folded paper geometry of a watchful crow, whose weighted body is made of seven long notes of decorative paper, each inscribed with traditional charms of protection and longevity. The crow bears a single folded origami leaf upon its crown, and it stands, with only a small steel legband marked with its name and origin; Shichikigarasu, from the Ryouhara clan, who had sent a note regretting they will not be in attendance tonight.

Ah, it is true; there are no invitations sent, and no artfully dressed men in yukata. But a carefully crafted lie made pretty is still a lie. It is simpler, one thinks, to lose track of a lower-rank junior kannushi amidst the procession along the paths to the Shrine and the Hall. To make sure things go smoothly, to make sure the guests are safe and attended.

A particular person works in the margins the reception, his youth almost causing him to be lost amongst the schoolchildren. Ah, but for so many schools whose students care for the Bride, there was a plan in place to manage unattended minors. This young man, barely older than a boy himself, is wearing first and foremost, a bright smile. His grey hair is tied back into a loose tail, with dark glasses and a tiny hat jammed onto his head, along with the traditional kareginu outer robe in darker blue. He is dutifully allowing his subordinate to overwatch the more sensitive affairs elsewhere for now, while he makes sure none of the children, especially those left unattended by school chaperones, get lost. A smile, a tiny wave.

Even when he takes the dark glasses off of his face and dabs at the corner of his eye with a folded cloth, he only answers mildly the obvious questions he gets from a curious child.

"Ah, so sorry," Shiryuu replies warmly. "I have a delicate constitution, it seems~~ and... events like these always make me cry.. please, right this way." A welcoming hand offered.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ijuuin has posed.
<poem>

Yua, notably, said not a word during the ceremony. She cast her gaze down, demurely, though a smile softened her features. She was the picture of obedience they expected from her, white as death.

There is plenty for Zabu's people to appreciate, when it comes to ''televisable material.'' Indeed, they were ''invited'' -- and given the exclusive blessing of being the ''one'' television outlet invited to the wedding. They've been promised all the best coverage!

Fuyu Ooshiro finds Miho and Remi, in the function hall. If he was shaken by the implications that his daughter was not safe beside him, he bears that stoically; it is not entirely ''untrue.''

(And he is known to both of them; he knew them when they were children, even, coming over to Yua's house to play. He has always been a warm and supportive father; he has always put his family's safety first. And he is a member of the JSDF, though he does not wear their decorations, today...)

"You handled the ceremony very well," he says, quietly, to them -- and if he speaks of it as if it were something they had to ''bear,'' well, he knows well why Miho and Remi might be burdened today. He, too, bears that burden; he gave his blessing for this union, but he gave it simply to give Yua and Miho the excuse to be closer together. "Miho-chan, your birthday colours are beautiful... and Remi-chan, the touches you've made to your furisode fit you perfectly." He knows that those touches take her dress outside of the expected Japanese tradition; but there is a reason he is wearing his ''ryuso,'' today.

Fuyu smiles, to Akechi, when he strides up. "The Detective Prince has come to my daughter's wedding...? Oh -- oh, yes, I remember, Yume-chan did say that you went to her school! I hear you cause quite a stir when you come to class," he chuckles. ... and if he makes a mental note to keep an eye on Miho, as the night goes on, he doesn't ''verbalise'' it. She may not officially be his daughter-in-law, but he hardly needs something to be ''official'' to want to look out for his daughter's people, as he is with Remi.

"Excuse me a moment, will you?" He asks, patting a hand to Remi's arm, as he steps to the side, just missing Umie and Zabu in the process... to find two women who look ''terribly'' lost amongst all this wealth, alongside another officer. Indeed, Reiko: the artifacts are ''not'' replicas. To Katsuya and Reiko, he smiles: "You must be... policemen like Inspector Ijuuin, yes? I'm glad to meet some of his guests..." They are definitely ''not'' the only policemen in formalwear in attendance -- but they ''are,'' notably, the two Fuyu feels more comfortable approaching. Most of Kimitake's friends... well, they have a certain imposing air about them. "Fuyu Ooshiro -- I'm the bride's father. Thank you for attending a formal gathering like this," he says, with a slight bow. And then, turning to Shinobu, he adds: "Could you be... Shinobu Shimizu? I remember Yua-chan mentioning a woman who helped her now and then who had a policewoman for a sister, and I overheard... well, thank you for your hard work," he adds, with another bow. "I know she can be a little forward and familiar at times, but Yua-chan really does mean well... I'm sure if she's invited you here, it's because she regards you warmly." Even though she was just doing courier work for them!!

Fuyu moves on, then, to green Julian. "Could you be one of Yua-chan's coworkers?" He wonders, looking ''up'' at the Western man in his kimono. "I recall her mentioning that she worked with an Englishman at Kasugayama... I'm Fuyu Ooshiro, her father," he introduces himself, again. "Thank you for coming... I'm glad some of her coworkers are in attendance, too, even though you just had a hard day at work." Ikkaku, of course, is ''also'' in the audience; he will speak with him, at some point, naturally.

Meanwhile, amongst the youth, Hyousuke and Jun are approached by a girl with brown hair and lighter skin than her sister -- though the family resemblance between Yume and her older sister Yua is unmistakable, even if Yume is just a hair's breath ''taller'' than average at a whole five-foot-three. Her normal side-pony hairstyle has been styled back into a fancy bun, and her ''ryuso'' bears a lovely pink floral pattern. She's sixteen, perhaps -- a second-year, though she goes to ''Sevens.'' "Hey," she says, to them -- and she waves Haru over, too. "Kind of awkward how she invited all the students, huh...? Oh -- I'm Yume Ooshiro," she adds, gesturing to herself. "I'm, uh... her sister?" She pauses, looking up at Tamaki, who is distinctly ''not'' a Youth. (Sorry, Tamaki... you're oooold...) "Nice necklace," she comments. "It's cool, this isn't ''really'' our religion, either, they can deal."

Indeed, there is something Tamaki has noticed, here, as Katsuya has identified the ''complexity:'' the tale of Izanami and Izanagi is one with harm done on ''both'' sides, a story of the mistakes which can be made in marriage which needn't be as one-sided as they've painted it today. It is... a particular type of traditionalism, the kind which finds faults in women far more easily than men.

And amongst all the guests being noticed, two guests, entirely deliberately, go ''below'' notice...

"Please welcome the bride and groom," the Master of Ceremonies calls, as a pair of doors in the hall open to reveal them. Kimitake is still dressed as a nobleman, a samurai, but Yua? Yua has been draped with an overcoat of cranes and tortoises and all those three friends of Winter, now wearing an ''uchikake'' -- an outer robe -- which is colourful and bright, red, green and gold all featured prominently on a white base, with red lining the edges of her robe.

All these symbols of longevity bless their union, as she is painted in the Ijuuin's colours.

"Today, these new Ijuuins wish to connect with the people who have come to support them," the Master of Ceremonies issues his short speech -- a traditional opener -- as he spreads his hands, his kimono suitable to the festivities without being ''so'' fine as to upstage the guests. "And so they will join with you as we hear words from our guests. Firstly, their matchmaker has designated his daughter to offer her words to the gathering... then we will hear from a close friend of the bride and the groom."

And perhaps it's because they know which daughter that is that Kimitake and Yua look first to Miho. For the first time, Yua meets Miho's eyes; and there is something complex, in her one visible eye, before she smiles gently.

Still she is the picture of beauty... and between those speeches, she can now be ''approached.''

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
<poem>

Miho appreciates Remi here. Of course their mutual friend would support them--but even if it feels a matter of course, it is important not to take it for granted. To take her for granted. Another mask, though... how true.

Miho did comment warmly on Remi's appearance earlier; she also apprecaites the way she has made it her own. But...

It is those things she does not and cannot say that Remi understands.

Tomoki doesn't, though. Or at least, he doesn't ''appear'' to, and yet, he doesn't tread on feelings too hard, either. "Ryuuja-san," he says, "The green really suits you well!"

He has said similar things about Miho's kimono, of course, but that was earlier. Now...

Fuyu addresses her quietly, and Miho inclines her head. "Thank you," she says to the man who could've been (in another world) her own father-in-law. "And I appreciate that. Yua is beautiful," she says. And then more softly, so only he can hear, "I'll be sure to look after her, too."

Akechi is here! And Miho recognizes him only by reputation, at first. He offers her a drink, and she looks to him first--but then he explains. "It was," she agrees. "...Forgiven, Akechi-kun," she says wryly. "A gift is the best way to smooth over such an advantage." She accepts the cup. "Who am I to turn down such a thoughtful gesture? I will endeavor to remain so."

She smiles back.

"I guess I'm sleeping on the job," Tokmoki jokes, "Not getting my date a drink. Thank you for correcting the oversight, Akechi-kun."

She has a drink now! Fuyu will keep an eye on her. She's definitely tempted to drink ''more'' of it. When he asks his leave, Miho nods. "We'll talk again soon."

Dark purple tuxedo approaches! Miho turns to Gozaburou as he approaches. "Thank you," Miho says to Zabu. "I recall my press agent is working on it. I am well, of course." She lifts her drink towards him, "Since I get to be here on this lucky day." Her short green hair is severe, and so is her... gigantic height, but she is soft in expression in this attire. "Hopefully," she agrees.

"Zabu-san! It's good to see you again! How have things been since the last time we got to visit?"

While they talk for a moment, Miho... feels something. That subtle pulse that draws her brown eyes towards Umie, as the very tall woman regards her--and it is a feeling very much like being weighed on the scales of some grand fate.

"Why, thank you," Miho says to Umie, inclining her head in greeting. "Yes, I am Miho Ijuuin. And you are?"

She's interested. But she doesn't comment further. Not... here.

She glances over at Julian, with the student calling him 'boss'. Hmmm. But before she can address that--

Well, was she going to anyway? She has a drink in hand, and the Master of Ceremonies has called upon her.

Miho meets Yua's eyes in turn, and it is hard to read her; there is something distant there, soft but far away. Much like on her worse days. ...But isn't this a 'worse day' itself?

"Yes. I would like to offer a few words to the bride and groom," Miho says, speaking up. Her voice projects easily.

"I have known Yua-chan since our high school days. I first met her at a fencing practice, when she came to watch me at my craft, and was brave enough to come and talk to me after, when so few other students would. In turn I have always appreciated her talent for the arts. She was and is a close confidant, my very best friend... and when my cousin saw her, he clearly saw as much to love as I see. My Father is the one who made this match, and I warmly welcome Yua-chan into our family now."

She doesn't need notes; she already prepared this. Just as she's prepared so much...

"One may recall the time I spent looking for her... When she was missing, for some time. Now, she has been found, and I am glad to say that she has found a place to remain. I wish her and Kimitake-san all the best, and hope that their union is everything we all imagine it to be. Take care of her, Kimitake-san, and she will take good care of you."

She pauses. "Let us celebrate warmly."

With that, she gestures to the bride and groom, allowing scrutiny to fall on them again... and takes a sip of her sake.

"Nice speech," her date Tomoki says.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
<poem>

As Fuyu Ooshiro addresses him, Akechi does smile at the man, "Well, perhaps I'm angling for extra credit." He teases, "Though no, in all seriousness, I'm happy to make an appearance. Your daughter is quite the gifted teacher who shows genuine care for her students."

A glance towards the front of the hall out the door. A car. A glimpse of a familiar young man, and a familiar young woman. How interesting...

"Isn't it just?" Akechi says with a bright smile Miho's way, "Though I do have to be careful not to be too generous... giving too many gifts to a lady who isn't a bride could be misinterpreted by casual onlookers." He says with a cheerful ease of someone well-accustomed to the jokes adults tell, while also addressing it to Tomoki, her date in acknowledgement.

"Oh, are you sure that's what you were actually hoping for?" Akechi turns that statement on Zabu with the casual ease of a Detective pointing out the ''true culprit'' at the end of a episodic procedural. "After all, a wedding murder ''would'' make for good television. Though, who would be the murderer?" He places a hand to his chin, before his gaze flicks aside to Miho. "Hmmm, I wonder."

He then smiles to them both, "Zabu, Ijuuin-kun, I hope you enjoy yourselves tonight. Though I think I just spied a classmate I should give my regards to."

He steps away, and with a raise of his own cup towards Katsuya in the distance, he decides to give Reiko a night off.

From dealing with him.

Haru likely doesn't see him coming, since his purpose is ambush. He's well-familiar with navigating the wedding guests, vanishing behind the right person here and there and-

"Why hello." Comes a voice just behind and to the side of Haru Okumura. "You're Okumura-san, if I'm not mistaken?" He says with a smile at her. "I'm Goro Akechi... I'm surprised that I don't see your 'Plus One' here tonight at your side." He remarks as if he actually were surprised by that detail.

"I take it that means he respects your independence a great deal as a modern young woman. It's a rare young man that would let their bride to be go unescorted at a wedding party."

Sugimoto's Shadow is very good at being loud about his outright contempt for her. Fortunately he's not one to repeat what he's heard.

The speeches come, forcing him into silence. He does clap politely at the first two.

However it is shortly after Miho's speech, that a man wearing a Kuro Montsuki, with his family crest upon it stands up to give a third. Katsuya and Reiko would recognize him as Captain Shimazu of the Konan Police Department. To anyone who doesn't know him, he's a middle-aged man with a overly large balding forehead, with slicked back black hair.

If he weren't a cop, people would say he looked like 'kind of a weasel' but since he is, they're not likely to do so to his face, "In the Western World, the root of the word 'Wed' means to take a gamble."

Here, there is a pause, as the man adjusts his glasses, "Perhaps that is why their divorce rates are so high. Here in Japan we understand that tradition is what gives us both our strength of will and character. The bride today... some may call unworthy for her Ryukyu heritage. However, the older and wiser among us know this is not so."

There is something of a thin-lipped smile like a man seeing the fruition of some of his goals, "Today she has been taken from those we have stewardship over and made clean in both the eyes of the gods and for the groom within her new role. A rebirth, into something pure... into Ijuuin-kun's wife. May she bring joy to her husband in her submission. A vessel for new life to his house and for his bloodline. Let us praise him for his choice, for his patience and his wisdom. In it, he shows his worthiness to rule over his house for the remainder of their days... and today we celebrate together the fortitude of our traditions as the people of Japan."

"..." Akechi is staring at Captain Shimazu for a time, before then looking back at Haru, "A speech like that leaves something of a bad taste in your mouth, don't you agree?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Reiko Shimizu has posed.
<poem>

"Mm-hm," Reiko answers Jun, with a smile. "They really went all out for her. I loved the shiisa, too."

Then, she glances at her sister.

"Mm, yeah. I thought Mom and Dad could be traditional, but... wow," Reiko says to Shinobu with a soft whistle. That is about as much as she will risk commentary on the speech -- but she wants to be gracious, and it's not in her to make such commentary anyways. She adjusts the police cap a little.

"I hope I don't stand out too much," she says, a little more quietly, to her sister.

When Katsuya walks up, she goes more business-minded. Her back straightens out; a finger quickly nudges her glasses up, so they sit evenly on her nose. For her part, she is a regular patrol officer, and her uniform reflects that.

"Sergeant Suou," she says, with a smile. "Officer Reiko Shimizu, with the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. I've never had the pleasure to meet Ijuuin-san before." A beat, a moment's hesitation as she looks at Shinobu -- does she know him?

But, there is no use denying it.

"We are," she says. "I'm her younger sister." She does a short bow. And she straightens back up again -- only to bow again, to Fuyu. "I am, Ooshiro-san. I think congratulations are in order. I've never met Ijuuin-san, but... I've heard about him, and he's a credit to Sumaru's force."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
<poem>
Shinobu looks toward Jun as he comments on the artifacts, as well. She nods, with a smile.

"Yeah, me too. I hope this is good for her." She replies. She can try to hope, anyway. She may not know her that well, but she's been nice and accomodating of her, and even invited her in for cupcakes. That wins a lot of points.

"Hah... Seriously. I bet they'd fit right in here." Shinobu replies with a nod toward Reiko, as she brings up their parents. It might even sound like she's saying something nice about them, if someone isn't familiar with them.

Not long after, a familiar face approaches! Katsuya greets Reiko - and when his greeting turns toward her, Shinobu offers him a nod.

"Likewise, Suou. Good to see you again." She replies. He asks the question, though, and Shinobu smiles, nodding as Reiko confirms that, yes, she's her younger sister. "That's right. Glad you two could finally meet. I think my older sister is around here somewhere, too..."

She scans the crowd briefly - but ultimately decides not to bother her when she's probably mingling.

She looks back toward Reiko, then.

"Sergeant Suou's been a big help with problems back home from time to time. He's a reliable guy." Shinobu adds for Reiko's benefit, to explain how they know eachother... without getting into the specifics.

And that's when someone else approaches them - Fuyu Ooshiro, Yua's father... Shinobu stands up a bit straighter.

"That's right, Ooshiro-san." Shinobu replies. ...It's rare for her to be that polite. "It's, uh, no problem. I like doing work for her, you don't always get folks who are polite to the messenger."

It's around this time that another speech is given. Captain Shimazu... Shinobu frowns, just slightly.

"...Tell us what you really feel, why don't you." She mutters, with a brief shake of her head.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Katsuya Suou has posed.
<poem>

Someday, Katsuya will realize that Jun's father was one of his teachers when he was in school, but that day has not yet arrived just yet. Instead, he turns his head just in time to catch the young man, and nods the once as if in greeting. "Hello," he says to him, "I assume you are one of Ooshiro-san's students? Or... rather, I suppose it should be 'Ijuuin-san', now."

He gets a moment himself to look at the dowry gifts; he had of course an understanding of Kimitake's rank in society compared to his own (the Suous are solidly lower-middle class, income-wise). But this... this brings it into appropriate focus. These are ''treasures'', and would be more befitting a museum exhibit rather than...

At the sound of a familiar voice, he turns his head. "Uchida-kun, it is good to see you as well." He... hadn't expected her to be here, but her present at least lets him feel a little less like a fish out of water. ...No relation whatsoever with the fish currently living happily in a tank in his dorm room.

"I see, it is a pleasure to meet you, Shimizu-san." He'd be a little more friendly if they weren't in the setting of a formal wedding, given that he suspects she's his junior. "I have not worked with him often," he says, of Kimitake, "but from my own observations, he is a fine officer." In fact, just recently, he had to reassure the bride herself of this very thing. Though, from all accounts, the bride and the groom are already otherwise, well, acquainted.

So Ayame is also here? He turns his head to scan the crowd himself, but has about as much luck. Shinobu says he's a reliable guy, though, and slightly, Katsuya straightens just that much more. "I endeavor to do my duty as an officer, just like anyone else," he says, though he's not ''dis''pleased to hear it.

They're approached by a particular man. With the Ryukan garb and his age, there's one person he's likely to be.

"Yes, Ijuuin-san is a superior officer at my precinct," he says, and his supposition is quickly proven correct. This is the father of the bride. "It is good to meet you, Ooshiro-san. It is my pleasure. I am honored to bear witness to a celebration such that this."

If also left wondering.

He glances over at Reiko as Fuyu continues, speaking of some association that Reiko, personally, appears to have had with Yua. A little forward and familiar... yes, perhaps so.

He'd seen Akechi before, at the ceremony, but now, their eyes both meet. Lacking a glass of anything at all, Katsuya instead nods at Akechi's own raised cup.

Then, after the daughter of the matchmaker, a friend of the bride and groom rises to speak.

"..."

Katsuya's expression remains carefully, carefully neutral as the man speaks. Captain Shimazu, after all, is the one who removed him from the investigation. While he must be respectful to a senior officer, he...

...'a close friend'? And with words like that? Katsuya remains silent, but his thoughts travel to other places.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Remi Ryuuja has posed.
<poem>

Remi could not fail to be supportive of Miho in this moment, and is doing her best to stay nearby for her. "How thoughtful," she murmurs quietly, though her gaze is a little sharper than the tone her compliment is delivered in.

Zabu arrives with an intern, and... that poor intern. (We're worried, Zabu, but not for the reason you think.)

"Why, ''Zabu-kun''," she says, with a smile that is all teeth and little friendliness as the TV host draws near. "Imagine running into you at such an auspicious occasion. It is so unfortunate you were unable to secure traditional attire... I see the rigors of television production must be weighing heavily upon your time. Truly a testament to your success."

But that's not the only person here she recognizes, of course. And her smile is a fair bit warmer, (if still subdued), for Umie as she approaches. "Good day, Akabane-san. I did not expect to see you here." When she expressed a similar sentiment to Zabu, her voice was filled with tension. For Umie, her voice has more a tone of pleasant discovery. Remi might have dressed somewhat fashionably (to the best of her more modest budget and temperature considerations) while working the register at the Cardboard Dragon, but not in a way that suggested great status. So it might be surprising to see that she looks... fairly comfortable and not-at-all out of place in this elegant, traditional occasion. "I was not aware you were acquainted with Yua-chan."

She has a smile for Fuyu, though it is a carefully arranged one: a sort of alternate mirror to his stoicism. They bore the ceremony well. "Thank you, Ooshiro-san. And you as well. And I remain humbled to have stood by your family during the ceremony. Thank you, deeply, for that." ''That'' part is completely sincere, at least, no matter how difficult the rest of the circumstances of this day may be. Remi did her best not to stray ''too'' far from the expected traditions--but she has always felt a strong pull to both sides of her heritage... a feeling she expects Yua shares in some form, from what she's heard her say of her customs. "Thank you. I hope it was not... ''too'' unbecoming of me, to have made those changes." She nods as he excuses himself. "Of course, dear."

Remi would, of course, have complimented Miho's outfit, as well. And she bears a warm smile for Tomoki as he compliments the green. "Why thank you, Hasegawa-san, how kind of you to say."

She watches and listens as Miho gives her speech, and if she feels any upset at the injustice of this situation on her friend's behalf, she doesn't let it show. When Miho finishes, Remi steps up, briefly placing a reassuring hand on Miho's elbow, before the steps forward more to take the attention.

"Like Miho-chan, I met our dear Yua-chan in high school--when her Dance Club collaborated with the Drama Club for a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. She was a brilliant scene partner but an even brilliant dancer, and though I did not expect it, her warmth and inner light drew me into her orbit. She has been a close confidant and a dear friend, and someone I have looked to in my darkest moments. And we are all glad that she is returned to us at long last."

"Yua-chan, I wish you all the happiness in the world as you enter this new phase of your life... and Ijuuin-san, I know you will look after her with all of the care and dedication as her friends have thus far. I wish you both the best."

And with that she takes a step back, falling in line with Miho to let the reception continue along.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Gozaburou Gessou has posed.
<poem>
"It is no trouble. Please, you think of anything, don't hesitate to pull on my arm" Gozaburou smiles and nods to Miho as she exits. He turns to face Tomoki when they approach. "Ah Tomoki-san. It is nice to see you as well. Things are spectacular! You'll be amazed -again- on next visit. It'll blow your mind."

Zabu laughs and politely claps his hands at Akechi's "performance". Even Zabu had to admit that Akechi was certainly an expert at being 'on'. It made you wonder what he'd be like when he was 'off'. Perhaps...Akechi was secretly... into anime hug pillows or Idol culture! Oooo, the scandal that would be. "Oh my, that would be -amazing- television but alas..." He makes a sad face and playfully rubs at his eyes before placing a hand under his chin in contemplation. "You know while we're pitching things...Maybe we should do a Wacky Wednesday style switcheroo. See if the Detective Prince could handle the life of an entertainer?! Now -that- would be out of the box television...Oh well, something else to consider. Ta ta!" He waves slightly to the departing prince.

Then his eye twitches. Zabu-kun. KUN?! But he doesn't let his face show much anger. No that would be letting her know she got him. Zabu's smile brightens almost out of spite as he turns his gaze back on her. He then feigns a shot to the heart and places the back of his hand on his forehead dramaticly. "Oh, Remi-''CHAN''...you know success has it's drawbacks. However I also know that it is entirely in vogue to wear western garb to weddings. I guess you aren't as plugged in as I am." He winks at her before turning away.

The intern is currently practicing the one rule Zabu placed on him....Don't be seen by anyone especially Gozaburou. He was a fly on the wall, taking shots of noteworthy things and people. They would appreciate the concern if they didn't need this gig, Remi.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
<poem>
Among the gifts is a particularly well-done crow origami, which Umie looks briefly, curious as to how it's constructed. "...." She briefly squints. _Ryouhara_?

(Ah. Right. NWO agent. Sure, this isn't NWO-facing, but some people have to be adjacent, right? Umie stifles a groan.)

Now, as Miho looks from Zabu, Umie reflects on the difference between their heights; she's taller than Yua, to be sure, but not by much. Something is being weighed here, and the Badb in Umie becomes restless in response.

It's a traditional ceremony, however; hardly the stage for some examination or show of inner mettle. The softer methods will do; Umie does a steady bow, hands clasped at her waist. "Umie Akabane," she says, straightening back up. "A pleasure to meet you, Miho Ijuuin-san. I'm honored to have been invited here by your dear friend." She lets one corner of her smile grow slightly, her eyelids lowering.

There may be more to say, but like Miho, Umie seems happy to leave such subjects for later. It'd be bad luck, after all.

Remi presents another surprise, but one that's not unwelcome. "I'm just as surprised as you are, but I think I'll survive," she says quietly, offering a small bit of humor in amidst it all. She would say more, but alas--

The bride and groom have now arrived. Umie's face brightens at the colorful display of Yua's uchikake, a part of the ceremony Umie has always enjoyed in the rare times she's been to such ceremonies, growing up. Umie *could* approach, but she feels content to let those closer take in Yua's attention, content to smile from the background.

She *did* say Yua may not even recognize her. Maybe she could test that later, after this shining moment is done.

Miho's speech is a fine one from what definitely seems to be a dear friend indeed; Umie can't quite read the groom like she could others she knows better, but, all said, it seems to be a fair match. Something just nags at Umie,. however...

Ah.

Glancing as Captain Shimazu speaks, Umie fights, once again, from making a face in polite society. Sure, Yua had said this wasn't NWO-run, and Umie is inclined to believe Yua would not lie to her. However, like the name of Ryouhara, there's certain to be... 'friends'.

Yeaaaahhh. This asshole is *definitely* NWO material.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>

Julian recovers his composure readily enough, with an easy smile for anyone looking in his direction following the exchange with his student. Though a moment later, he does take a second to dab his forehead with a handkerchief. He underestimated how hot today would end up being, especially dressed the way he is. But, he'll endure what he must for the sake of his principles as a Gentleman without complaint, as always. The stiff upper lip principle is especially strong with this particular Englishman.

Thankfully, his composure is once more fully intact by the time he's approached by Yua's father, correctly guessing at his identity. "Indeed I am, most pleased to make your acquaintance, Ooshiro-san." Placing a hand at his waist, he bows modestly as he introduces himself.

"Julian Marlowe, English teacher and guidance counselor at Kasugayama High School. It was no trouble at all - it has been my honor and pleasure to be present here for your daughter's ceremony. My heartfelt congratulations to you and yours."

He keeps it at that, foregoing small talk to not keep the man from making the rounds. There will be many for him to greet, after all.

...Even if he did have to bite his tongue a little bit. Were he to say everything that was on his mind, then he would have to voice some concerns about the particulars of the wedding vows, seeming to imply an uncomfortably high level of subservience on the part of the bride. But it's hardly his place to question what seems to be all part of a time-honored tradition. He can only assume that in practice, it won't be quite as bad as it sounded.

As Miho's speech begins, he takes the opportunity to glance around, noticing a few figures that seem familiar, despite not having met them before. He only places having seen Goro Akechi on TV once he sees Zabu nearby, who he ''definitely'' has seen on TV. Quite a bit of a police presence too. None of these are... really the type of attention he's looking for, so he steers himself away, more or less naturally gravitating towards where he's seen a few of his students together.

"<Mister> Kashihara, <Mister> Suzuki, good day to you both. A fine gesture, coming to support your teacher like this."

That's as far as he gets before Captain Shimazu's speech. That one does cause his gentlemanly facade to crack a brief moment, giving the man the stinkeye for not giving the western world the respect he always tries his best to give the eastern one, and proceeding to highlight the exact parts of the ceremony he found distasteful to begin with. Rather than protest, he just shakes his head, turning back to his students. "Well. Perhaps we'll all be better served by pretending those particular words were never spoken."

It's only then that he takes notice of Yume and Tamaki, clearing his throat. "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to intrude on your conversation, terribly rude of me. Julian Marlowe, I am part of Kasugayama's faculty." He adds to Hyousuke's suggestion, "Of course, but in orderly fashion, let us not crowd her now." Yep, definitely a teacher.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
<poem>

The lines in the vows about the husband attending to the wife's evils is certainly a part of the sense of something off Jun gets, considering Izanagi was not blameless in his marriage. He's never attended a Shinto wedding before, though, so for all he knows, this is normal. What's more, when it comes to romantic relations between a man and a woman, his only exposure or interest is his parents, and while Jun wouldn't attribute them to just his mother (not in this timeline, anyway), certainly the two had evils of their own to overcome.

He smiles back at Shinobu and Reiko. "I quite agree," he says to the former. To the latter: "They're a lovely piece of Okinawan culture. I hope Ooshiro-sensei's family feel appreciated." As opposed to... used, perhaps. When Sergeant Suou approaches, though, he gives him a respectful nod of greeting. "Yes, that's right. She's very enthusiastic about teaching us about physical education."

Though he's not sure either if it should be 'Ijuuin-sensei' now or not. It might be a moot point. He'll wait for Ooshiro-sensei to announce that once she's back to teaching, either way.

Jun then turns to Tamaki as ''she'' approaches then and shakes his head. "Ah, good day, Uchida-san," he says with a smile that crinkles his visible eye. "No need--though, I take it the two of you are already acquainted?" Jun looks over at Hyousuke with a touch of concern. Given how ''he'' knows Tamaki, is Hyousuke also wrapped up in trouble...?

At least his explanation of his discomfort makes sense. Jun nods in sympathy. "It ''is'' quite a formal occasion for an event opened to so many students. I hope you find an opportunity to relax afterwards." Relax, and rest, he leaves unsaid. He smiles when Hyousuke introduces him to Tamaki as his tutor. "Yes," he says--

But then a girl Jun doesn't know but looks strikingly familiar approaches. Her introduction explains that. "Ah, I see. It's a pleasure to meet you, Yume-san," Jun replies--calling her 'Yume' because there are many other people who would lay claim to 'Ooshiro-san' first. "I'm Jun Kashihara, one of Sensei's students at Kasugayama High School." (Just "sensei," since there ''is'' that uncertainty of what name he should use.) He pauses. "Perhaps a bit," he admits, of the awkwardness of the blanket invite to the students; he'd already implied as much to Hyousuke. With confidence, though, he concludes, "But it's rooted in her care for us."

Yume gestures Haru over, and whether Haru joins them or not, Jun turns to look at her--and at Akechi, in a black tuxedo with a pale blue shirt instead of a kimono. Jun gives him a curious look--but then Miho is called upon to make a speech, and Jun falls silent to watch and listen. That sense of something off returns in force as he does. He'd had the impression that Yua and Miho were... But clearly he must have been wrong, or else they wouldn't all be here like this today. Remi's speech seems... somewhat closer to normal, anyway. But she too talks about how Yua had gone missing at one point...

Meanwhile, Captain Shimazu's speech is more obviously wrong, given that it doesn't have 'traditional vows' to hide behind. Jun frowns as he says Ooshiro-sensei has been made 'pure' for her husband. In other words, cleansed of Kegare... It might be meant to be a callback to Izanami and Izanagi, but it feels distasteful all the same.

"Good day, Marlowe-sensei," he says once it's done, greetings having been interrupted by said speech. "I could hardly miss it. Ooshiro-sensei is so passionate about her students, it's the least we can do to support her." Jun considers Hyousuke's hushed question; then he says, "We can certainly try. Shall we, Suzuki-kun?"

If the two of them (or more) ''can'' get to Yua, Jun will warmly offer her his congratulations... but with a crowd this big, that might be a big 'if.' At the least, they might have to get in line first, as Julian suggests/says outright.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shiryuu Ryouhara has posed.
<poem>

A white line from the light travels the sheen of polished smoke black, the shades hiding Shiryuu's eyes as he keeps a tight watch over the ceremony.

He can't say that he's met many of the people gathered here, and so the junior priest mostly does his work isolated and in private, completely content to remain under notice. He has a good sense of the Ijuuin clan now, and it's towards these that the sidelines of his attention is directed -- perception as wide as the maws of the lions at the dowry.

Of course, much of what he does is under the shade of artful deception, but not all. The young man seems fairly content to coexist amongst the children, even when one almost blows past him on her way to blowing this so-called pop-stand. A small sniff, a hand waved at a concerned member of -- Seven Sisters? Is that the insignia? No. I'm just fine. Thank you. Please don't mind me.

The onmitsu's attention smoulders when it grazes over the police force in attendance, all in their dress blues. The so-called detective prince, and what appears to be ... that person is aggressively purple. Is that a camera? Mm. Hardly an ideal situation...

"They are a little rambunctious today, aren't they..." the smiling kannushi comments.

Yes, he is just within earshot of Julian. Who is, after all, here to watch over the Kasugayama High students, right? Ah, it's lucky that Yua's father is not far away, to occupy his attention.

The boy smiles a shade brighter, a tiny, wan, submissive thing, as his gaze slowly pans over to the Ijuuin contingent, and their newest member as the bride and groom are revealed. One would be forgiven for missing the light of small, tiny recognition in his eyes as he pans across one or two figures in particular. After all. He's the only priest here wearing shades.

He's also holding a folded white handerchief. That is absolutely not hiding a noticeable splotch of red.

He smiles to the next child who catches him staring, waving shyly again. No, he's not blushing. These kinds of events are just so exciting, aren't they...? Oh, what Captain Shimazu said? Ah, I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention. Please, move this way.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>

Hyousuke blinked and straightened a little upon hearing his name being said, his gaze flitting away from the piece he'd been examining. It took him a moment to realise that it was indeed him being addressed, and not a separate Suzuki (of which he was sure there had to be at least one),but a smile replaced that ever-so-slightly weary look once he recognised that he had been addressed by someone that he actually knew.
"Kasihara-san!" He said, unashamedly happy to come across a familiar face, though restraining himself a bit so that he did not stick out more than he already did. Tall as he was, with brazenly blonde locks and a rather prominent scar carved across his eye, drawing unnecessary attention to himself was hardly what he wanted.

A quick shrug followed, as well as an offhanded dismissal of Jun's concerns.
"I'm fine. I'm just not used to being in fancy places like this. It's not really my kinda scene." It was a curt response - that much even he had to admit. But for once, he was telling the truth. Or, at least, part of it. There were no visible injuries upon his person, and though his bloodshot eyes remained underscored by bags, both symptoms of his sporadic sleep had faded enough to be ignored or chalked up to a few bad nights.

His attention then turned to Tamaki. Another familiar face - the day had gotten a little better, at least.
"Uchida-san! Didn't expect to see you here." He didn't know who he *had* expected to see, but moved on before the train of thought could get out of the station. "It's cool, I was just talking to Kasihara-san. A friend introduced me to him, and he helped tutor me about some literacy stuff over the break." A rather rough summation of what their meeting had entailed, but enough for the purposes of introduction, he supposed. "Hey, is that an omelette roll? Are we allowed to-"

The thought remained unfinished, and another morsel remained untouched. Yume - someone even a person as dense as Hyousuke managed to recognise as a relative of the bride - approached.
"Pleased to meet ya. I'm Hyousuke Suzuki - just don't ask her how I'm doing with her lessons. I can't dance for nothing." A quick joke to lighten the mood. Who it was intended to help ease, however, he could not say - even with acquaintances gathered, Hyousuke was still not entirely comfortable with all that was going on.

He let the others handle their own introductions, choosing instead to peer over in the direction that Yume had waved someone over from, before sighting Haru amongst those gathered. He knew not who she was, but he raised his hand in greeting anyway. If she was to be a part of their conversation, it was the least he could do to welcome her into it. The gesture stopped abruptly when he saw someone else address her, however. He looked familiar - eerily so. Had they met before?

His curiosity faded the moment he realised it was the Detective Prince. Curious as his presence at the wedding was, it left no mystery as to Akechi's identity. All he was left wondering was where Haru might decide to take herself.
Hyousuke didn't keep watching to find out. The Master of Ceremonies announced the emergence of the bride and groom, and speeches to go along with them. He recognised nobody but Yua - he was not particularly close with her, after all - but Miho commanded his attention nonetheless, if for no other reason than politeness and respect. Once the speech was over, however, he turned to all gathered with him, and spoke in a (somewhat hushed) voice.
"Does this mean we can go up and say congrats to teach now?"

So busy had Hyousuke been with attempting to look even remotely like he belonged, that he had hardly the time to digest whatever the speeches had contained. He'd heard the words and understood their meaning, but it had taken a few minutes to truly process them. Once he had, however, his feelings about the whole ceremony were mixed at best. Such occasions were supposed to be happy, from what he knew. Shinto tradition might have made it seem a more solemn affair than the ones he'd seen depicted in the media, but to hear such words so brazenly said to so many people... Was that normally how things went?

Some were normal enough. Ooshiro-sensei's - or should it have been Ijuuin? - friends spoke of her qualities and hope for the future. They spoke of fond memories, and carried with them what he interpreted as an optimistic tone. But the rest... the rest left him forcing a snarl back, and the faintest hint of bile lapping at the edges of his throat. He tried to steady himself by remembering that he didn't know how any of it worked, and he might've been getting worked up over nothing, but Eiji's palace still remained fresh in his mind. The things he heard, the mannerisms he saw... They all seemed a little more familiar than he would have liked.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Haru Okumura has posed.
<poem>
Haru waves back at Hyosuke as she's invited over. Though she doesn't know ''many'' people here, she's glad there's some other people around her age. "A little bit, but it's okay. I didn't expect it either, honestly. Your sister really does care a lot about her students to do something like this, doesn't she?" Haru glances between Jun and Hyosuke, as Yume Ooshiro greets them. It's a similar sentiment to Jun's. "It was quite the beautiful ceremony, too." She adds, with a smile. "I'm Haru Okumura. A third year at Shujin." she introduces herself - both for Yume's sake and the other students. "It's nice to meet you."

A beat passes, and suddenly Haru finds herself ambushed by the Detective Prince himself. "A... ah!" Haru briefly exclaims in surprise, before quickly recomposing herself. "My apologies. I didn't see you just a moment ago." She brushes her hands against her kimono, trying to play things cool. She's sure Akechi could see past any weakness she projects.

"That's correct. I've heard a lot about you, Akechi-san," He commands a great deal of popularity even in Shujin Academy, after all. "But we haven't been acquainted. It's a pleasure. Are you enjoying the wedding?" He's perceptive, instantly pointing out that her 'plus-one' isn't with her. So she decides to just be truthful.

"Unfortunately, my fiance had other arrangements tonight. I'm certain he's sorry he couldn't be here." Respects... "Yes. I think he trusts that I'm not the type of woman who would make a move on another man." The bitterness in that statement is only very vaguely implied, but it's there, even if she's not directly speaking against him. In reality, she can imagine the fit of jealousy had he seen she so much as interacted with someone as famous and popular as Goro Akechi 'alone', but there's no need to mention that, right?

The Master of Ceremonies calls in the bride and groom. She listens - very silently to the speeches. It hits close to home in a similar - but different way to what she felt in Eiji's Palace. 'To be made pure'... it implies marriage as a means of power and control more than a vehicle of true love. Maybe that's why she's felt so out of it for this entire ceremony. Eventually, she ends up tuning it out. "...It was certainly old-fashioned." She agrees with Akechi, finally., showing her distaste without outright condemning the speech. That would be rude. "I wonder if those were the words our teacher truly wanted to hear." She adds, a little more candidly and quietly. Yua seemed so... free-spirited during their lessons, something seems off about it.

"It would be nice to give Sensei our regards if we get the chance," Haru agrees with Hyosuke, and she'll gladly join him and Jun to do so.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>

Aw c'mon, Tamaki's just only a couple of years older! She's in college!

Being college-age is admittedly enough of a visible age gap to distinguish her from Yume, Hyousuke, and Jun, however. Yume does have to look a few inches up at her, at least. As the Youth comments on the Old's necklace, she nervously laughs, simultaneously relieved but also a bit flustered that it was pointed out. "O-oh! Thank you."

Not everyone who knows Tamaki is involved in trouble! Probably a safe bet, though. She gives him a knowing wink. "Good work on that job the other day with Shimizu-san; I caught wind of that." As for the question of food, she silently gestures and raises her eyebrows as if to indicate 'yes,' although Hyousuke's attention gets diverted shortly after

That probably answers Jun's question handily. "Indeed we are! He's been helping the community out."

She casts a furtive glance to the side, then sidesteps away with a grin on her face. "I'll see you three later, I see another friend of mine around here." She starts making her way to Katsuya and Reiko while greeting the former with "Suou-san! How are you doing?" -- though she glances back to Jun to clarify, "Er -- his brother, you see."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ijuuin has posed.
<poem>

"I'm counting on you," Fuyu said, quietly, to Miho. He was quiet to Remi, as well, as he says: "You have a place with us, Remi-chan... and your changes are wonderful." His smile to Akechi, of course, was far less private. "It's really lovely to see how many lives she's touched as a teacher..." Like daughter, like father, he's touched by something like that, too.

Now...

It is hard to read Miho, but Yua has always been better at it than most; she knows that this is the worst day she's had, because it is the worst day ''she's'' had, even as she smiles so warmly.

"Thank you," Kimitake smiles, to Miho. "I will take the greatest care with Yua-san, I promise you. I'm glad to know she will always have a fine support within the family, as well..."

And he touches Yua's arm, to prompt her, in turn. "Mimi," she smiles, to Miho, eminently breakable; her voice does not carry, the way the Ijuuins' around her do, but Miho is used to hearing her. "You'll be really happy I'm part of your family... I promise!!"

She is not the only one to make a speech, though. Yua's hands curl, beside herself, as Captain Shimazu says the quiet part out loud; she does not meet anyone's gaze, then, particularly not her ''family's.'' (Fuyu's expression grows a touch clouded, though he's used to restraining himself in front of ranking men; Yume, on the other hand, scowls and turns to the snacks, grabbing a pancake and shoving it into her mouth so no one can ''ask.'')

"Thank you, sir," Kimitake is the first to speak -- naturally -- when he is done. "You honour me with such gracious wishes. Yua-san is proud of her heritage, so I am truly honoured, as she's accepted this position as a Japanese wife... the grace she has shown in her willingness to join me is a gift I will honour with my strength and my wisdom." And on the surface, he seems, certainly, to be ''defending'' Yua with the effortless social manuevering of the rich, never calling Shimazu wrong ''directly...''

... it may take those with strong social foundations to realise the word he has made pivotal in his response. He is honoured -- he is ''being'' honoured. She ''accepted'' the position -- she is ''willing'' -- she is a ''Japanese wife,'' now, by position.

And she is the one who is proud.

But even ''that'' insight is something which must be questioned, because -- is it not also true that Shimazu is Kimitake's ''boss?'' (Is it not true that the Ijuuins served as retainers to the Shimazus, in those ancient Edo years past?) Perhaps the allowances he makes to the truths of Shimazu's speech are simply the limits of how far he may push back; perhaps he is more supportive of Yua, in private. The Ijuuins must have discussed their dowry with the Ooshiros before today, after all, and Kimitake would surely have not accepted one of Okinawa's greatest prides -- the shiisaa lions! -- into their records if he viewed it ''entirely'' poorly... would he?

"I wish to bear many children," is the nice thing Yua can say about it, at the prompting of Kimitake's fingertips, "and have a big family... thank you."

She is lucky, perhaps, that Remi speaks next -- that she does not have to ''sit'' with Shimazu's imperialism for long. Her smile is less put-on, as she listens to her, her gaze lifting again.

"Thank you, Ryuuja-san," Kimitake bows his head to her, when she finishes speaking. "I know that you have been a pivotal friend to Yua over the years... and I hope to get to know you much more now that she's joined my household. I will take great care with someone so important to you."

And Yua, in turn, smiles to Remi. "Recchi... this is the path to my happiness! I'm very glad you're here... you are part of my happiness, too."

She does feel... a little intimidated, seeing a TV star right by Remi, but... maybe Zabu isn't that intimidating? (His intern is getting ''great'' footage of all those artifacts, even if the priests attending it never seem to be in shot when he goes to take pictures...)

She whispers something, to Kimitake, and so they step deeper into the hall, to Miho and Tomoki, Remi and Zabu. "N...nice to meet you! My name is Yua Ijuuin!" She says, to the men, as she bows; and perhaps Kimitake's hand at her arm is meant to reassure her. (Or to remind her of the level of her voice.) She reaches out to grasp Miho's hand, as she asks, anxiety still clung to her voice: "How'd I do, Mimi...?"

She clasps Remi's hands, as well -- and offers, by way of apology: "Sorry, this kimono is, um, they said it's a hundred and eighty years old... I'll give you a real hug later, okay?" Yua... does not get hugs at her wedding.

"You both look... really beautiful," she smiles, to them. "I'm really glad you're here."

"We both are," Kimitake adds, beside her -- ''here,'' at least, Yua is able to speak first. "Thank you so much for coming."

"I'm glad Mimi's got company, too," she smiles, to Tomoki; and assures Miho, in the same breath, that she does not ''blame'' her. "Just give me a moment," Yua adds, as if remembering something; she gives them an apologetic look, before she steps off to offer her personal regards to Captain Shimazu, too. These are more hushed than his previous speech, though snoopy onlookers can certainly see the way it's ''Kimitake'' speaking first, a hand at his wife's arm to steady her... that's not so strange, though, is it, when he's Kimitake's friend?

To Tamaki, Reiko, Katsuya, and Shinobu, Yua steps up and smiles. "Shimizu-san! Suou-san, Uchida-san! And... you must be Shimizu-san's sister?" She adds, turning to Reiko. "I'm glad you were able to come, too! Boy, there are a lot of officers here... sorry," she smiles, to the man beside her, "I don't know how many more I can name off hand..."

"That is no problem at all," Kimitake smiles, to Yua, before he turns to the others. "Suou-san, Shimizu-san -- and Uchida-san and Shimizu-san, I take it?" He greets the officers first, though they all get their very own stern nod. "I'm very glad you were able to make it to our wedding... while I wished for the people to experience a traditional ceremony, I'm personally glad to see my co-workers here to support me, and Yua-san's friends here to support her, too." Are they Yua's friends??? Well, Yua doesn't seem to know how acquaintanceships work very well... or maybe they just haven't talked that often about her friends. (Or, Shinobu might recall, about ''much at all.'') "We'll certainly catch you again, but I think my wife is particularly keen to welcome her students... is that right?" He asks, looking to her.

"Heehee... that's right!" Yua smiles. And so it is that Yua steps to the children, next --

-- except --

OST: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7_-qdxVpZ4 Silent Hill f - Hougejaku

-- from behind her, she hears Shimazu issue a biting comment: 'Okinawan whore.'

Captain Shimazu would not be blunt in this way. Indeed, he said nothing at all. No one hears anything -- ''he'' has no sense he's spoken.

But Yua does not realise the truth of her hallucinations, as she turns back to him, grief stricken across her features.

'Does she think we can't tell this is a total joke?' Tamaki's voice reaches her ears, next, and she whirls to look to her -- only to hear her own student, Hyousuke, chime in. 'Yeah, we ''all'' know she's a ''rezubian.'' That's what we're really laughing about, when we call her a puppy. She's too stupid to figure it out!'

Before she can think of what to say to that, the voice of one of the Shinto priests comments, 'I can't believe she'd forsake her Gods and her people so easily.' She can hear her own sister, her beloved Yume, agree: 'Ugh, she can't wait to be rid of us!' And it is the venerable Takashi Ijuuin, head of the clan, who Yua hears sadly stating: 'Can a simple girl like that really learn our traditions...?'

Umie's voice joins the fray: 'Look at how she's looking around so wildly! She can't even take lying for one day, how's she gonna keep this up?!' And she hears ''Julian'' adding: 'She's clearly having an episode... I'll make sure she gets the help she needs.'

Yua ''is'' looking back and forth -- quite wildly, in fact -- as her breath shallows in her chest, and her hands curl, lifted to her midsection. "I," she starts, her heart lodged in her throat, "I--!!"

She turns, then, and all but runs into Kimitake's chest; despite the finery she displays, he embraces her, with gentle yet firm pressure. "Are you all right?" He asks, and ''this'' everyone can hear -- these words aren't gold, and they are ''really'' words, things anyone can hear.

Things which aren't just ''in her head.''

"I -- everyone realised I was--!" Yua starts, clearly upset, and he shakes his head, grasping her shoulders gently. "I'm sorry, I -- I'm sorry!"

"It's all right," he says, gently. "No one's said anything bad to you... I was listening. This is very stressful, isn't it? Let's go and get some water, come on..."

It is, as it happens, a route that takes her to the young people she wanted to greet... and the adults around them. "Excuse me," Yua says, a touch hushed, to the priest -- the priest? -- watching over them, "is that water, in that pitcher...? I mustn't have anything alcoholic to drink..."

And perhaps she will recognise Shiryuu, if she gets a good look at him... or perhaps he will hide from her, as well.

But he will be satisfied, perhaps, to see that her husband is ''attending'' her.

"Y--Yume-chan," Yua smiles, when she has that water in hand. (She's not throwing them away, it's just how they do it in Japan, it's... normal...) Her smile remains, as she turns to the others: "And Akechi-kun and Suzuki-kun and Okumura-kun and Kashihara-kun, too! Oh, it's wonderful to see you all here... Kimi-san thought this would be a good educational experience, but I was so worried it would be too stuffy for you! I'm quite glad to see you here!"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
<poem>

"You always may," Miho assures Fuyu.

"Her work is important to her," Miho agrees with Akechi on caring for her students. But generosity? "True," Miho says. "I would hate to see people get the wrong idea." She manages to sound wry instead of completely sincere at that one--though it's not ''Akechi's'' fault, what she hates today. Instead Tomoki laughs. "I'll just have to keep her cup filled instead, then."

A murder, though... Akechi says it, and Miho glances his way. "Hmmm," she agrees with him. ...But she has no plans for such murders today.

"It was good to meet you," she says to Akechi before he goes.

"Oh?" Tomoki answers Zabu, and grins. "Looking forward to it!"

But Umie... "You know each other?" Miho remarks of Remi and Umie. Whatever she was trying to weigh, it would appear that Miho finds Umie acceptable for the moment. "A friend of a friend can easily become one herself," Miho says, with the tone of aphorism. "A pleasure as well. I'd like to talk with you more, later. We could discuss how she came to invite you."

Kimitake smiles at her, and Miho inclines her head. "Of course," she answers. And Yua... Well, Miho hears her. 'Mimi', she still calls her even now. "I will," she says. And she mostly believes it. After all... Yua has promised.

Captain Shimazu's speech... Miho is entirely impassive as she listens to it. Her response is polite. However...

>Miho Ijuuin will remember that.

Truthfully, 'polite' is easy for Miho in a society where excessive emotional expression is frowned-upon; all it takes is leaning on her natural inclination. Her base affect is increasingly flat as she ages, more and more having to remember to emote, sometimes with difficulty--and on a day like this, the medication helps less than she would like. ...If anything, ''Tomoki'' is helping her more, reminding her to be a person. So rather than dwelling on Shimazu's speech, she looks to Yua again, as she says she wants a big family. Miho actually smiles at that. And Remi's speech... "You did well," Miho says to Remi quietly. "...I know she's glad you're here, too."

"You did very well," Miho tells Yua when she approaches. "You are perfect."

'Are'. 'Were'. 'Will be'. They're all true for Miho.

Hugs can come later. ...Hopefully. "I wouldn't miss it," Miho says of being here. And Tomoki smiles at Yua. "A pleasure," he says. "You're a beautiful bride. Ijuuin-san is very lucky." A beat, "I'm Tomoki Hasegawa." Miho inclines her head, and--appreciates... that she isn't blamed. Before she can explain further, though--

Miho doesn't interfere in Yua's regards to Shimazu.

But Yua's alarm alarms ''Miho'', and she almost takes a step forward. Almost. Kimitake embraces her instead, and Miho pauses.

...Ah. Of course. Her husband can reassure her. ...That's how it ought to be, isn't it?

"...You all right?" Tomoki asks quietly of her, and she realizes that she showed some of that alarm after all. "...Let's get another drink, if you want."

"...Of course," Miho answers. Miho finishes the first sake that she had, and soon she'll have another. "I'll see you shortly, Remi-chan," she says as she walks off with Tomoki.

She decides to put on more of a smile. "...So your latest film," she asks of Tomoki as they go for that drink, "'Monday Love'... I watched it, in preparation."

"Really?" Tomoki laughs softly. "How diligent! Studying up for a wedding date... I suppose that means it's not usually your kind of thing?"

Miho cannot help but glance back at Yua now and then. But she's talking with her date, now.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
<poem>

Akechi has the good grace to look abashed at Haru's reaction - and apology. "Ah, that's quite alright. It wasn't my intention to startle you." Despite that in fact being his intention.

"That is a shame, I'd rather liked to have met him. Though I admit to being more interested in making your acquaintance, Okumura-san." He replies when she speaks of his alternate plans for the evening, though he'd rather shove a hedgehog into his face rather than meet the man outside the Metaverse.

"I would certainly hope so. I meant more that most young men would prefer to be present to protect their fiance from unwelcome advances." He says, as if trying to clarify his point, and you know - twist another knife. When one's situation is like anesthetic, you hardly understand that a hand is wielding it.

'Old-fashioned'... "That is a word for it." He agrees, not even trying to disguise his own distaste. As for her own feelings...

"I can't imagine that they were. By all accounts, she's quite proud of her heritage. To have it so casually erased is unlikely to sit well with her."

He's not about to say he's 'closer' to Yua than one would think - because that would reveal he's taking private dance lessons with her, which would be rather disastrous for him if many people in this room learned about it.

He turns to Jun and Hyousuke, and smiles, "Ah Kashihara-san. So good to see you again. Who's your friend?" For someone who seems to know who everyone is in this room tonight - to not know who he is seems notable.

"Yes I agree." He asides to Haru, "I think I'll go with you to give her my regards as well."

And he's ready to walk up when abruptly - he sees that look back and forth, that skittish look, those wild apologies. Then her being steadied.

Far too late to be having cold feet- sensei.

"Perhaps give her a moment to compose herself..." He suggests, before they do finally approach, and she seems relieved, "Far from it." Akechi tells her. "I've found it exactly that... an educational experience."

He says, with a half-smile at the thought, "Though more than that, I'm glad that I was here to offer my support on such an important day for you."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Reiko Shimizu has posed.
<poem>

"Me, too. It's... I think it's a nice gesture," Reiko says to Jun. She smiles at him. A similar thought crosses her mind -- she hopes it's not a token nod to her culture.

"Mm. Yes," Reiko agrees with Shinobu, her voice a little lower. "Though... I think mother would be jealous, too." She says it with a good natured smile at Shinobu -- but it's ''absolutely'' saying something more about their mother.

"Oh, I'm glad!" Reiko says, after Shinobu explains that Katsuya has been a big help. She smiles, looking back at him.

"Thank you, Sergeant Suou," she says. "I'm glad that you're looking out for my family. I'm in your debt, and if there's anything I can do..." She trails off; it's a nicety, but it's not insincere either.

When Yua approaches, Reiko smiles -- and she nods her head. "I am! Reiko Shimizu. It's a pleasure, Ijuuin-san. And congratulations, too."

She watches, though, with a frown a little later -- as she takes off like that. Reiko looks into her emptied glass from the toast, and frowns.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>
Julian's appearance was a surprising one, but certainly not unwelcome. Aside from providing another familiar - if not entirely trusted - face to the assortment gathered, that slight surprise was enough to shake Hyousuke from his bitter reverie.
"Ah, Marlowe-sensei!" He said, greeting Kasu's counsellor with a polite smile. "I figured I could at least say congrats to her. Sensei's been doing her best at school, so it's the least I can do here." He'd evidently decided to follow Jun's lead. Unsure of which name to use, her title seemed like the next best thing.

Speaking of Jun, his question of how Tamaki knew him came up, and Hyousuke struggled for an answer. Even if they were not in the middle of what was ostensibly a public event, he couldn't just casually drop that he'd awakened to someone he wasn't even sure knew about Personas in the first place. Fortunately, Tamaki took care of that problem before he even had a chance to stumble over his own lies, and he got acknowledged for the job he and Shinobu finished to boot. His face didn't shift much, but that didn't stop him feeling some flicker of pride at a job well done - or at a payday well-earnt. Before he could follow up with anything, Tamaki left to speak to others, and Hyousuke saw her off with a short, polite, wave.
"Alright, catch you later! Save some work for me!"

Then there was Haru.
"Hyousuke Suzuki. I'm a third year at Kasugayama." He said, giving her a firm nod in response. He spoke quickly enough that he managed to fit the introduction in before Akechi ambushed her, but that was about the most he managed. He spared a little attention to their conversation, though that was mostly due to proximity. They were close enough that he couldn't help but overhear, even if it wasn't something he was particularly interested in eavesdropping on. Never mind that it was the Detective Prince speaking to her, even he had some sense of decorum. He did give a polite smile when Akechi offered one to him, though. It was also about all that he gave Akechi. The question had not been directed at him, so he supposed it would be best to leave it in Jun's capable hands.

The matter of greeting Yua came next. He was glad to have the company, as his beaming smile no doubt attested to.
"We'd better get moving then." He said, nodding firmly in acknowledgement of everyone. He strode forward, hoping to make some headway before Yua attracted a crowd, though Julian's words managed to keep him at least somewhat restrained. Eager as he was to congratulate one of the few teachers in the school that actually seemed to care about teaching, it was still a formal gathering, and it still demanded he act in a certain manner.

That manner was almost forgotten in its entirety when he saw Yua's grief.

Hyousuke had enough restraint to keep from speaking out, despite his first instinct being to ask if she was alright. He could see something was wrong, and even if the look on her face had escaped him, he could hear it in her voice. Something was wrong, and he couldn't even begin to fathom what. Second thoughts about the marriage? Something wrong with the ceremony? A sudden bout of illness? He blinked, trying to rid himself of such thoughts. Concerned as he was, it seemed like it was being handled. It was not as if he could have done much about it in the first place, he supposed.

That didn't stop him from turning to fix Jun, Julian, and Haru with a somewhat perplexed look, tinged by worry for Yua. He himself had no idea what had transpired, but he didn't consider himself a particularly smart person. Perhaps one of them might have had the answers.

Before he could give voice to his concerns, Yua greeted them all, and Hyousuke's expression snapped into a broad, beaming, smile in less than a heartbeat, changing with practised ease.
"Who cares about stuffy, I just wanted to say congrats!" It was unclear as to whether Hyousuke was oblivious to his own irreverent mannerisms or not. Whatever the case was, he barrelled through with all the grace of a steamroller. "I should probably read some of the plaques again though, I don't think I really got half of them..." His smile turned sheepish, but no less bright for it. That was reserved for the conclusion, to accompany a softer tone. "...Say, Sensei, how're you feeling about all this?"

It would have been an innocuous enough question - if phrased a little oddly - were it not for what he'd seen.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
<poem>
"I hope so, too." Shinobu agrees with a nod at Jun's sentiments. She can only hope.

Reiko agrees with her, and that comment gets a smirk out of Shinobu.

"I think so, too." She agrees.

Katsuya and Reiko seem to be getting along well, at least, and Shinobu is pleased at that. She smirks, though, at his modest response to her comment. It doesn't surprise her, really. She shakes her head.

"Don't sell yourself short." She replies.

And then, Yua approaches them. Shinobu offers her a smile back.

"I promised." She replies. "I hope your marriage is a happy one."

And then, she looks toward the man accompanying her... Kimitake Ijuuin. She doesn't know much about him. Katsuya says he's a fine officer, and then there's the way he's carried himself throughout this event...

"It's nice to meet you, Ijuuin-san." Shinobu replies with a nod as he greets her. She doesn't object to getting greeted last. "Yes, I'm glad to get a chance to support her."

Sure, she's more acquaintance than friend... but that doesn't change the sentiment.

"You'll be kind to her, right?" She concludes. She's fine with leaving it at that, for now, as they move on to greet Yua's students.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>

Jun and Hyousuke are doing a fine job of proving what Julian has been saying all along: there's plenty of hope for students at Kasugayama, plenty with fine manners and values, if you care to regard them on an individual level. It also speaks in favor of Yua's positive influence, to hear them speak highly of her.

He had been intending to approach with them, to deliver his congratulations to Yua following theirs. Except that... something odd happens. Perhaps odd is all it will be, to some, but to Julian, it's particularly alarming.

He doesn't have the answers that Hyousuke's look asks of him. But he would feel terrible if he knew that his thoughts in that moment were at all similar to what he appeared to say out loud to Yua. In truth, he merely assumes that Yua must be feeling overwhelmed. He certainly wouldn't presume to impose any sort of 'help' of the sort that Yua would imagine, given his profession.

Yet it probably doesn't do anything to make his actions appear any less like rejection, as he considers his assessment that the bride needs space to have possibly been an understatement. Grand events like this can be very stressful... especially when there are sources of unwanted attention about.

"Go on," he encourages the students with a nod, "I believe Ooshiro-sensei would benefit from your support right now." But not from his, appears to be the implication, as he moves to step back. While he still doesn't know what he did to deserve it, he can't help but feel that perhaps it would be more respectful for him to keep his distance, and simply smile, should Yua glance in his direction.

Much like in his line of work... he can't always take the initiative in approaching, as much as he would like to at times. If his involvement is unwanted, then he has to respect that.

...Although he can't say it isn't serving some level of personal interest, having an excuse to back away from the group of Kasugayama students, right when they attract the attention of Goro Akechi. None that he would admit to, anyway. Surely a man like him wouldn't have anything to hide.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Remi Ryuuja has posed.
<poem>

Remi would never miss an eye twitch on her 'dear' friend and old Drama Club rival, Zabu. Her own smile sharpens as she is called -chan in return. "Oh of course it is, Zabu-kun. But I see only one of us has ever learned the fine art of subtlety."

Hang in there, intern!

Umie expresses surprise, and Remi has a soft chuckle in response. "These are, indeed, surprising times, are they not?" But perhaps they shall have to catch up more later, as other things draw Umie's attention away.

Fuyu is speaking somewhat privately to her, so Remi only offers a small bow of her head--a token of the much deeper bow she may wish to show at a later date. "I am heartened to hear that, Ooshiro-san." And then she offers a quiet, pleased smile. "And I am glad you approve." (See, Zabu-kun? That's how you do it.)

Remi does not miss all of those small, minor nuances--but it is not her place to remark upon them. Or at the very least, ''this'' is not the place to do so.

But Kimitake hopes to get to know her, too... "Of course," she says with her own small bow of the head. "Nothing would please me more, Ijuuin-san." To him, respect. To Yua, though, a much warmer smile. "I wouldn't have missed this for the world, YUua-chn..."

She would insist Zabu isn't the type of person who needs to be feared.

It's so unfair, to hear Yua introduce herself with that last name... only to have not taken it from Miho herself. But she lets Yua take her hands, and doesn't even bat an eye when she says her kimono is over a hundred years old. "Of ''course'', darling. I understand completely." She leans in, dropping her voice low for a private thanks. "And I must thank you again, for the arrangement you have made. Truly, I am fortunate to have such a thoughtful friend." No hugs at her wedding... it's tragic.

Yua is a good hugger. But one's obligations must take precedence... at least when antique kimono are concerned.

Yua compliments them, and Remi can only smile. "Darling, you look positively radiant. And I am glad to be here for your special day." She says that last part to them both.

But Yua leaves to make her rounds, and Remi watches her go with an outwardly calm expression. She looks to Miho next, as she remarks on knowing Umie. "Oh, we are acquainted from the Cardboard Dragon." And as Miho complments her speech, Remi smiles to her, though only for her it is just a hair faint. "Thank you, dear. I'm sure she is."

Miho is watchful of Yua, for her own reasons. But Remi is no less watchful, for admittedly entirely different reasons. When she sees Yua's alarm she does not have so much restraint as Miho does--she takes a half step forward before she catches herself, planting her foot down. The accompanying look of concern is far deeper than it perhaps should be, but then she sees it--

Yua is running into the arms of her new husband.

... this is not a situation in which Yua needs her Knight, is it?

Both of those reactions only last a moment, before she composes herself once more, feet together, a warm smile on her face.

She looks to Miho and nods. "Of course, dear. Take your time." She eyes the empty cup of (formerly) sake that Miho is holding.

And after a moment's consideration makes her way over to fetch one for herself.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Katsuya Suou has posed.
<poem>

"I'm simply glad to be of service," he tells Reiko and Shinobu alike. If there is anything she can do, though...? He can think of something, but it's hardly appropriate to mention here and now. "Actually... perhaps we could speak at another time," he says, instead. Family business, especially regarding a wayward sibling, is probably impolite.

"I am well, thank you," he says to Tamaki. Why he's here is probably self-evident; a number of Kimitake's colleagues are present as guests. Some, as the garb of Captain Shimazu displays, as guests of honor. "I did not know that you were acquainted with Ijuuin-san," he says, though meaning in this case the new bride. He glances at her, then at Jun, as she makes her correction. "No, it is quite alright. We have met," he explains, gesturing generally with his free hand.

He's not unaware of the social balancing act taking place here. On one hand, Kimitake is defending his wife as politely as one can in such a situation. At the same time, though, while he may not be highly-placed in Japanese society as some with claim of more ancestral foundations might be, he also doesn't miss the way that Kimitake's response places himself... and places Yua. But he's also aware of one thing more.

Just as Shimazu is Katsuya's superior ultimately, once one ascends the chain of hierarchy high enough, he's also Kimitake's, and... if Kimitake were more blunt than this, or misstepped, especially for a man who spoke at his own wedding...
If Kimitake's goals are to do well by the citizens of Sumaru, then he cannot err here. Yes, it's a balancing act. Katsuya's own gaze falls on the shiisaa lions and he doesn't say anything, doesn't betray anything more than that brief turn of his head at the wedding gift.

The bride is next, voicing her desire for 'many children', and going on to greet personally some of her friends and members of the 'wedding party'.

She even addresses him by name. "Ijuuin-san," he says to Yua, "please accept my congratulations." He's here as a part of civil service, and nothing more.

To Kimitake, once the man also extends his greetings to the officers gathered here, he says, "I am glad to be in attendance, Ijuuin-san. It is an honor." Perhaps, he allows himself to think, if the circumstances permit it, he might even have an ally in a place of power on the force in Sumaru. Yet, this is also an alliance, that if possible, is far more easier said than done, given Kimitake's rank and resposibilities.

Something comes over Yua, then. "Are you--" he starts to blurt out, only to (mercifully; he's speaking out of turn) be undercut by her husband. It seems that the matter is being handled, but... that look on her face just now was strange. Like an animal, caught in a trap.

Some water, he decides, may do her some good. It's been a long day, and her attire must be stifling in this heat.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Haru Okumura has posed.
<poem>

"It's nice to meet you, Suzuki-kun." Haru smiles, when Hyousuke introduces himself in turn. "Kasugayama? I actually have a friend who goes there." She adds, and that's perhaps a more positive impression of the school than what might come from most Shujin students.

"Hehe... is that so?" Haru replies, when Akechi states his interest in making her acquaintance, perhaps showing the cheerful side of her personality for the first time tonight. "I have to say, you make quite the interesting company yourself, Akechi-kun. You're not afraid to say exactly what's on your mind." There's probably some truth to that, even, even if Akechi is obscuring his intent. As shown precisely a second later by his next comment. "...Yes. I suppose that would be quite old-fashioned in its own way too, wouldn't it?" Haru frowns a little.

And unfortunately, from the way Akechi describes Yua's situation, it only furthers her doubts as to whether this wedding was much more of a willing decision than her own. Yua's very own reaction only intensifies that fear.

"I suppose not. Marriage is about two people coming together to form a whole. This... doesn't quite feel that way." She agrees with Akechi. Both families should be celebrated equally, it's just not right to treat one side of that whole as lesser.

And as Yua undergoes what looks like a panic attack, Haru shares a worried look with Hyosuke and the other students. "I hope she's okay..." She says what's on everyone's mind, quietly. She tries not to show any of that worry when it's time they actually approach Yua. As Akechi advises, she takes it slowly, but with Julian's encouragement, it looks like she's actually relieved to see some of her students.

"Congratulations on your marriage." Haru smiles, as respectfully as possible. "It was quite the ceremony... but if anything, I'm just glad I could attend. Your lessons made quite the impression on me." It was the first time she felt like a teacher... actually cared about how she was doing in school. Now, she's not even sure how she can help Yua in turn. She glances over as Hyousuke asks a question. It's a smart one. "...I hope your husband treats you well,." She concludes - and she does mean that.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shiryuu Ryouhara has posed.
<poem>

For a moment, everything is fine.

There are, amongst all men and women and cross, certain situations that are simply inexorably miserable. A lonely walk along a pier where once there was two. A visit to a grave on a hill. A long stare at a miserable staff with a bloody history.

Ryouhara is aware of the subtext of the event, and the shackles that society impose does not penetrate past his easy smile. Through most of it, the young kannushi minds the flock, as he always has.

His eyes trail away from the Kasugayama counselor. There is the slightest modulation of the smile that the boy hides behind when the Bride seems to become excitable. Certainly; he has no way of recognizing the vacant Hell in hidden eyes when he watches, but there is a tiny crow chirp in the air that draws his attention from kneeling to console an excitable young child, the younger brother of another student, anxious about missing what was said by that police officer. No, it's fine, he helps Taro-kun say. We'll make a special note of what was said just for you to have forever, okay? Yes, the gods allow it... oh look, there's sensei! Come, let's say hello.

The tilt of his shades turn to reflect Yua, as she approaches.

"Aa," the boy replies, straightening almost immediately. He is, in fact, the one also attending the pitcher of water. It is a western glass he turns over to her quickly, filled with crisp, pure water.

"Be at peace," he tells her, two differently-colored brown eyes rising over the rims of his circular shades, as he charges her with the glass.

"We will perform according to the promise," the priest assures her, smoothly stepping back to make space for her and her students.

It is literally the only thing the priest says to her; the only distraction of him from his flock, or of her from her joyous day. It is the nature of all good works, baroque or otherwise, to be subtle. The glance that he throws over Kimitake and his support is equally so; fast, and satisfied.

Even with Miho and Umie; another priest comes to them separately, offering blessings with his staff. A young, dark-haired boy, wielding a somewhat comically long and crooked gohei, as if it were the last one they found in the box for him. His own hat is at an odd angle, but he is earnest enough as he mills by. Swishing little lines of paper trailing from that staff, he reaches behind a panel of his overrobe, offering Miho a small folded charm, specifically. The height difference is extreme -- Shuuhei has to offer the folded paper way up.

Except the charm has no spell on it, only a symbol of three swirling leaves in the wind. "Please be safe in the knowledge that you are under the watchful eye of the shihaisha and all of the kami of good luck gathered here," Shuuhei assures Miho in hushed words that could easily be mistaken for a real priest's, before offering a blessing under his gohei again.

He doesn't explain what 'shihaisha' means, before making his way on, offering more blessings.

As long as the 'Ijuuin' are safe, Shiryuu and his might as well be ghosts.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
<poem>

Jun's smile to Tamaki turns melancholic. "Yes, I understand," he reassures her. He saw Sergeant Suou already, and anyway, he doubts Tatsuya would show up to an event like this. And... Hyousuke is helping out with 'the community'... Jun gives him a worried look as he rests a hand on his chin, but he decides to leave it at that. If he's on the same level as Tatsuya and Umie, it's not his place to say anything. "Take care," he tells Tamaki instead.

Haru does indeed join the group. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Okumura-san," Jun says with a soft smile. "I'm Jun Kashihara, a third year as Kasugayama. It ''was'' beautiful, wasn't it? The artifacts in particular are breathtaking." He laughs a little and jokes, "I'm sure sensei's fellow teachers will be begging her for a chance to look at them!" But... she has a friend at Kasugayama, does she? "Oh, really? May I ask whom?" he wonders.

He gives Akechi a mildly curious look as he too comes up and asks who Hyousuke is, though he smiles and says, "Likewise, Akechi-kun." Hyousuke's already introducing himself to Haru, though, so Jun nods his way. "As he says. We're friends from school." Is 'friends' the appropriate word? Jun seems to think so, anyway.

There's... a strange situation. Jun doesn't see it at first, but then Yua is looking around wildly and seeing to panic at nothing before running into the arms of her husband. It quite takes him aback, and it doesn't take much urging from Julian for him to head over to Yua with his fellow students. (Julian's urging does get him a nod of acknowledgement, though. "We'll let you know how she's doing," he promises.)

Hyousuke provides a fine line to Yua. Jun follows with Yume and the others, and takes in Yua's brittle and almost manic manner. Akechi says to give her a moment to compose herself, and Jun does, at first offering her a gentle smile. "I'm grateful for the invitation as well, sensei," he replies once she addresses them. "It wasn't stuffy at all--quite on the contrary, I was admiring those artifacts on display earlier. I'm sure Father will be eager to get a look at some point too--he's a teacher at Seven Sisters, as you might recall." Which, given her current state, she might not. Echoing Haru, he continues, "Congratulations on your wedding. I hope..." He glances at Hyousuke and his quite direct question. "...that you aren't feeling too overwhelmed?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
<poem>

Umie smiles coyly towards Miho, holding a hand to her chin. "I *do* know a lot of interesting people. Perhaps you'll be another one?" An invitation, if placed subtly, to meet her later.

Subtle words from a person who can be anything but, when in certain contexts.

After all, if Umie knew the sort of visions Yua saw, she'd realize it wouldn't be that unbelieveable to have such cold words come from her own mouth.

Umie, of course, is clueless about what has transpired, instead noticing the nervousness on Yua's face, the way she acts--

Is this just another cycle? "...." Umie's thinning lips are hidden behind a sleeve, attempting to hide that grimace and desire to step forward with a softened manner.

A flutter of robes as a priest moves by to Miho, attracting Umie's gaze as she lowers her right sleeve, briefly curious in the young man as he speaks to Miho.

The clan symbol on the envelope, matching the one she saw on that earlier envelope, the one with the crow, as well as the one on Shiryuu's coat.

Is there a brief glimmer of let-down in Umie's eyes when she realizes there is no disguise, and that this is genuinely a separate person?

'Shihaisha.' She has to mask her mouth again, moving towards her original intent of greeting newly married bride.

"Thank you for inviting me," she says, as Yua leans into Kimitake. "I hope..."

She clears her throat, not intending to leave a shadow of a bad omen behind her.

"No, I... expect you two will make each other very happy," she says instead.

Hope is nothing, but expectation... that would be a stronger word, wouldn't it?

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
<poem>

Tamaki gives both Yua and Kimitake a bright smile and a slight bow. "Congratulations on your marriage." She's unsure of what, exactly, she could further say in this moment: may it last long and be happy? Given what she's intuited ...

She settles for a sympathetic glance in Yua's direction. "I wish you the best." She wholeheartedly means it.

To Katsuya, she looks up at him and grins. "I take it you're here to support the other side of the family, given your line of work, yes? Her studio's in the same area where I live and work! And we run into each other sometimes. One time we ran into each other near Chagall Café out in Iwatodai! Oh, I was just recently out at Mandragora, this karaoke place they have there ..."

She looks between Katsuya and Jun, then nods as they confirm they know each other. "You take care as well," she directs to Jun. "Drop a line or drop on by if you ever want to talk, alright?"

To Hyousuke, she flashes him a thumbs-up. "Of course!"

Shinobu, she's seen before on several occasions. Reiko's a new face to her, however. "It's good to see you too, Shimizu-san, and as I told Suzuki-kun, good work!" she directs at Shinobu. "And this is ..?"

(''Should'' the latter ever introduce herself and mention her given name, there's a decent chance that, being slightly more vulnerable to those particular memories in this setting, Tamaki's smile will momentarily grow awkward and pained, frozen in place until Tamaki manages to recompose herself. 'Just a given name, different surname,' she'll remind herself.)

The false voice which Yua ''hears'' from Tamaki isn't entirely off the mark from how she actually feels, but even in the darkest corners of her heart, she wouldn't ''ever'' phrase it so cruelly. She had caught the earlier glance that Yua had given Miho and, in turn, recognized something within herself. Despite how they feel, they are each bound by their respective circumstances.

A pang of guilt courses through her chest at Yua's outcry of 'everyone realized I was --!'

Had she been so obvious in her thoughts and words? "I, um. ... I think I may have to step away for a moment. Excuse me."

And it's here that Tamaki tries to find a quiet, unoccupied corner to gather her thoughts alone.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ijuuin has posed.
<poem>

"I'm happy to!" Yua smiles, to Katsuya. "Thank you for taking time out of your important work, Suou-san... really, I'm happy," she insists, again. Is she insisting too much...?

"Thank you!" She adds, to Tamaki's own wishes. "I'll have nothing but the best. I won't want for anything, now..." ... and there's a word for that kind of woman, but they surely have the tact not to call her ''kept.''

Yua smiles, to Shinobu, in turn. "I will be very happy as an Ijuuin," she promises her.

"I will be," Kimitake promises Shinobu, and she might have gotten the final greeting, but she gets no less gravity than the question deserves. "Though I think Yua-san could teach us all things about kindness... so I will strive to listen as well as act."

Don't worry, Reiko, there is plenty of sake to be had at the wedding. It's ''traditional.''

Miho, at least, will have her almost-never-quite-father-in-law pop up if she goes for a ''third'' glass to ask her if she'd like some water instead...

She was so glad to hear Miho call her ''perfect;'' she could feel it, in the way her fingers tangled between hers, squeezing her hands. Tomoki Hasegawa... it's a name she'll remember.

"That's my line, silly," Yua insisted, when Remi said she was a thoughtful friend; and perhaps she is thinking of the way Remi went after her, though she is a fine enough thespian to keep her smile on her face. "I'm glad..."

But, indeed: the first person to comfort Yua is her husband, and this is as it ought to be. And when Yua looks around Kimitake's strong eyes, to find Miho... she sees her getting more sake, with Tomoki. And there's Remi, getting some on her own...

(Is that how it ought to be?)

She can hear Katsuya start to comment -- can see Julian, keeping his distance, and not just ''him.'' (Tamaki even excuses herself entirely for a moment...) But Kimitake said he was making sure no one said anything mean to her... is she just... going crazy?

"Ah..." Yua starts, as she sees those brown eyes over his shades; recognition flickers over her own singular eye, and she shuts her lips against the name that wanted to cross them, offering him a grateful smile instead. "Thank you," she says, quietly, smiling to him. "I'm all right... it's my own stress that bothered me." She isn't in any danger. She's just... not quite ''right.'' That's how it is, isn't it...?

Yua smiles, to Akechi, water in hand. "I'm glad it's been so educational, Akechi-kun! And I'm really happy you had time to come here on this important day, between all your hard work... heheh, though we've brought your work here, a little, haven't we...?" ... she's laughing, but it's still a little shaken.

"It does look a little like a precinct, doesn't it?" Kimitake smiles, beside her. "All these uniforms... but I've received an honour much higher than a medal, today."

"Oh!" Yua exclaims, and by her ''expression'' she must be blushing, though it's obscured by the whitening they've done to her skin. Hopefully, it will fade... given time.

But Hyousuke asks her how she feels, and both Yua's hands curl, around her glass of water. (She sips it only tenderly; perhaps she's not feeling well.) "Oh, I'm sorry... I must have frightened you. I really am happy to become an Ijuuin," and her reassurance ''sounds'' genuine, at least. "I just... um, I felt a little ill, and I was sure everyone could see, and I panicked." But will teenagers of their age understand why her excuse is so plausible? It's a little improper to overshare; a more secure woman would think of some other way to reassure them, but Yua goes on: "I'm having a baby, you see... so they're normal feelings, but I became quite frightened at the thought of anything impacting our special day! Ah, overwhelmed is a good way to describe it," she adds, to Jun. "Just a little overwhelmed, for a moment... but that doesn't mean it's bad."

"Ah... I'd wondered if it was something like that," Kimitake says, with concern, a supportive arm around her. "We can step out for a moment...?"

"No, no," Yua shakes her head. "I'm all right now... but thank you." She smiles, then, to Haru. "Men ought to be attentive to their wives this way," she advises her... and her, perhaps, in particular. "So... I think he will be a kind man, just as he promised Shimizu-san."

She pauses, and adds: "I'm really glad I've been able to help you all... but don't worry, I don't plan to stop teaching any time soon! I'll still be able to dance for a long time... and once the baby's born, I'll come back, too!" She doesn't want them to feel like... it's a farewell.

"Oh, but I do hope Kashihara-san can see all of these artifacts," Yua smiles, to Jun, as well, when he comments on the ''artifacts.'' She remembers him! She'll greet him as well, if he's here... perhaps when she goes to find Ikkaku. "I was very surprised to learn the Ijuuins had such treasures in the care of their clan... I'm very fortunate that Father leant them to our wedding."

Yua tilts her head, when Umie offers her expectations. "...?" She asks, verbalising a question mark, as she examines her -- before -- "... oh! Akabane-san! Oh, I truly didn't recognise you... excuse me!"

"We will meet your expectations," Kimitake promises, with all the nobility of a good man.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
<poem>

"Yes... We'll see if I can qualify," Miho agrees, more demure than she would usually be because she's inhabiting a certain Role herself. Not that she isn't usually polite--but she isn't usually dressed so femme, either.

But shortly, Miho reaches out to accept the paper from the priest, her long, hanging sleeve dangling as she does. SHe picks it up and looks to it. And there, he says...

"Thank you," Miho says to the 'priest', and while it isn't precisely ''reassuring'' to the particular problem she has... it is more peaceful. It makes her ''think'' instead of only feel, and that's only a good thing in this case, where soon enough Fuyu will have to remind her to drink water instead of more sake.

Tomoki adds, "Even the priests pay attention to you," he says. "Not surprising, I suppose." He doesn't have to repeat his earlier compliment; it would come off as smarmy.

She'll ask what shihaisha means later. For now, it is not strange to Miho that someone would come out of nowhere to offer her secret messages. Especially in her current mindset, that's just Tuesday. ...Though 'this symbol' in particular...

Expectation... a strong word indeed.

Yes, Miho definitely wants to talk with Umie later.

For now, though...

Miho does go for that water. And talks with Tomoki a lot, even as she keeps looking towards the bride.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
<poem>

"Yes quite so." Akechi says at Haru's chuckle, smiling, as he puts a hand upon her chin, "You have a reputation for being rather unobtrusive at Shujin. Such that most students don't even know your family ties... but I suspect there is far more to you than you let show."

He leaves his tone in this state of plausible deniability. Perhaps he's merely speaking of the fact that there is ''more'' to most young women than most young men would believe beneath the surface.

Or perhaps he's just making veiled accusations of her being a Phantom Thief.

"And if I'm correct - then I think you'd make rather interesting company yourself, Okumura-san." He says, with a cheerful bent of someone who actually seems to find her pleasant.

"No... this feels more like a warning that she must sublimate who she is to be tolerated by her new in-laws." He tells Haru bluntly what he feels about the speech. "It's a sort of ugliness seen within families who concern themselves with outdated concepts like the purity of the bloodline."

While he asks for an introduction to Jun, Hyousuke outright states who he is, "Ah, it's nice to make your acquaintance, Suzuki-san. I'm Goro Akechi, a third year at Seven Sisters."

And TV Personality, and Detective Prince and - he wears a lot of masks, but he introduces himself first like that, as if reading the room.

'I hope she's okay...'

"I think she merely needs a moment." He says as he explains, "The last thing she would want is for us to... draw attention to the matter in front of men like that one." He says as he cants his head slightly towards Captain Shimazu, who appears not to have noticed this, instead mingling after the speeches.

It ''could'' be worrisome, Yua's words there back to him, but he decides to take it in stride. "Well, it does tend to follow me wherever I go." He says with a certain good humor.

Jun ''does'' ask if she's feeling overwhelmed as well as Hyousuke, and Akechi decides to say, "What bride wouldn't, on a day like today? But... if there is something we can do." He tacks on to the end of that, trying to head off Kimitake some at the pass.

But, it turns out to be unnecessary... or at least, not asked for...

The rest of the party is a blur...

In a corner, Goro Akechi takes a sip from a cup as he watches Yua greet some of the guests, "If you could go back to before I was ever conceived and made a different choice... would this be the kind of life you might have had?"

There's a bitterness to his voice, like for all of the terrible context of tonight how a woman might find it far preferable to being discarded - an outcast. He sets it down, and turns to leave. "I wonder."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ijuuin has posed.
<poem>

And so, when the socialisation before dinner is done, the guests are invited to a sit-down dinner of several courses... flower bouquets are presented, the families give their ''own'' speeches... the ''cake'' is cut, ceremoniously, and they even borrow Miho's saber to do it. (With the Master of Ceremonies announcing, grandly, how this was ''the sword which won the Olympics for Japan.'') Everyone receives a piece -- though not from the cake which was ''cut,'' because that, as is tradition by now, is a ''replica'' of a cake specifically designed to be cut. The cake they're given is far more... ''edible.''

... and after all their rounds of toasts, the newlyweds send off their guests, before retiring to their home together.

Welcome to the rest of your life, Yua.
</poem>

Julian Marlowe

2026-01-03T14:15:11Z

Fureasei: The 'fan club' grows...

{| class="toccolours" style="width: 15%; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="background:#DEAD17; border: 2px #000000 solid; font size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Julian Marlowe'''
|-
! colspan="2" align="center" | [[File:Julian_Marlowe.png|300px]]
|-
! style="background:#DEAD17; border: 2px #000000 solid; font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''IC Information'''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Full Name:
| Julian Marlowe
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Arcana:
| [[Tarot#Fortune|Fortune]] (X)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Gender:
| Male
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Age (Birthdate):
| 27 (October 15, 1984)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Hair Colour:
| Straw Blonde
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Eye Colour:
| Steel Blue
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Height:
| 6'0" / 183 cm
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Residence:
| Tomigaya district, Shibuya, Tokyo
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Workplace:
| Kasugayama High School
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Job:
| English Teacher / Guidance Counselor
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Role:
| Focus
|-
! style="background:#DEAD17; border: 2px #000000 solid; font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''OOC Information'''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Source:
| Persona 5 (OC)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Voice Actor:
| Kazuhiko Inoue / Troy Baker
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Groups:
| None
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Player:
| [[User:Fureasei|Fureasei]]
|-
|}

'''"I'd much rather be a meddler than ignore those who could benefit from a little meddling."'''

Julian Marlowe is Kasugayama High's new English teacher and guidance counselor, a young man from Britain with the impeccable manners one would expect from a self-styled Gentleman. Yet below his calm, somewhat quirky exterior beats a passionate heart that genuinely wishes nothing but the very best for his students, and the will to bring it out of them through whatever means necessary. Seeking to bury a turbulent past that cost him everything, his new life in Japan also ended up including a different sort of adventure: answering the Will of Rebellion and taking on the alternate identity of Vesper, the jovial and over-eager Supernatural Investigator with a flair for the dramatic.

= Background =
Julian is a recent immigrant from London, arriving in Tokyo in early 2012. Though he may not quite know all the ins and outs of Japanese culture, his mastery over the Japanese language and knowledge of the local customs is striking - suggesting he didn't travel there on a whim. He lives alone in a very nice apartment in the Tomigaya district of Shibuya, which suggests he's been doing rather well for himself.

But at present, aside from the impressive credentials that effortlessly got him the position at Kasugayama High, no one really knows much of anything about what his life in his home country was like. Julian doesn't tend to talk much about himself in general, but where it comes to his past before 2012, he's been exceptionally tight-lipped.

==Season 1, Episode 1==
In progress!

= Persona =
'''Raffles''': A humanoid-shaped figure wearing a fashionable dark trench coat over a white cricket jersey bearing the number 17 in red, carrying a diamond-tipped walking cane in the left hand and a cricket bat in the right. His right side limbs are notably inhuman, made up out of a mass of dark tendrils - wrapped around the bat, in the case of the right 'hand'. His face is covered by an iron face guard styled halfway between that of a cricket catcher and a Man In The Iron Mask-style prisoner's helmet, only leaving openings for the eyes and mouth, through which a bright yellow light shines.

Based on the character A.J. Raffles from the novels written by E.W. Hornung, this self-described 'Amateur Cracksman' mingled in high society as the very picture of a British gentleman, admired for his skill at cricket. By night, he would use his mastery of disguise and proficiency at constructing makeshift burglary tools to steal from those he considered undeserving of their riches.

= Special Skills =

Though he has his area of expertise in counseling, Julian has an uncommonly wide range of knowledge and experiences, and is very quick to adapt and improvise based on the circumstances. If there is a limit to his patience, or any way to provoke him into rudeness, it has yet to be discovered.

His Approaches are as follows:
* '''Counsel''' - It's right there in the job description! Julian always has a well-meaning word of advice to give, employing his Understanding of people and situations to steer a situation towards a positive outcome.
* '''Inspire''' - Though perfectly aware of his natural Charm and how that could be used as an asset, generally speaking, there's nothing disingenuous about Julian's words of flattery and encouragement. He's simply helping to boost confidence and bring out the best in others.
* '''Swagger''' - When all else fails, and you have no idea what you should be doing, fake it 'til you make it. Julian is Gutsy enough to try and bluff his way through situations with nothing but false bravado.

=Relationships=

(I'm historically very bad at keeping up with these, we'll see if I manage!)

===Notable NPCs===
* '''Tomoyo Harayama''' - A second year at Kasugayama High school. Julian's staunchest supporter, putting up with any and all teacher's pet allegations to defend him as a well-meaning individual who really cares about his students. Quiet and withdrawn until a few weeks after Julian arrived, now unafraid to freely speak her mind and stand up for herself. Is this the power of counseling...?

* '''Kotoha Shiranui''' - A third year at Kasugayama High school. Having never allied herself with a Boss, she was known to be a lone wolf with a vicious temper and the muscle to back it up. Yet when returning to school after summer vacation in 2012, she started to effectively act as self-appointed Hall Monitor from Hell, while referring to Julian as 'Boss'. Just what is Julian doing to the students...?

= Soundtrack =

<ul>
<li>Main Theme (Julian) - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWYG7lZBc6U Mumford & Sons - After the Storm]</li>

<li>Main Theme (Vesper) - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAXm2FcEUBw The Scarlet Pimpernel (musical) - The Riddle]</li>
</ul>

= Logs and Cutscenes =

==Season 1==

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{{#dpl:
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[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Kasugayama High School]]
[[Category:Focus]]

2025-12-12: Plans

2025-12-24T01:45:45Z

Fureasei: Just a bit of polish...

*'''Log: Plans'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Ichika Kawase]], [[Julian Marlowe]]
*'''Where:''' Mementos Lobby
*'''OOC Date:''' December 12, 2025
*'''IC Date:''' August 24, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Ahead of stealing Eiji Kamiya's heart, Ichika Kawase makes one call to ask to meet someone in the morning. Vesper comes, and has some news--but not the news he hoped to share...''

----

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
<poem>
There's a lot to get done, before everything is ready and it's time. ...And that time is almost approaching. With one detective thoroughly ''out'', Ichika is inclined to call on one she knows is a better fit for her needs... one who helped her before, with no apparent expectation of reward.

So she got out Vesper's card, and asked him to meet her in Mementos in the late morning.

Now, Ogre is there, dressed in her thorn-wrapped armor, standing looking at one of the monitors that delivers so much nonsense into the world. It's just the entrnace; the disturbing veins are everywhere... but she hasn't gone down the turnstiles.

There's no Shadows at the entrance. But Ogre's here. Waiting.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
Vesper, for his part, feels like there is an understanding between him and Ogre. Certainly on the matter of Ichika Kawase's predicament. Not that there aren't plenty of other reasons to oppose Eiji Kamiya, but it's the clearly personal aspect of it to Ogre that truly made him inclined to offer any and all assistance that he could. After all, it's not as if it isn't personal to him.

Beyond that... well, he's not thinking that far ahead just yet. It's never a good time to think too far ahead in the middle of a crisis. And there was going to be much to do to resolve this one.

He would have hoped to have pieced together more of a solution before Ogre contacted him again, however... well, there were unexpected developments. Still, he wasn't about to turn down the invitation. He'd just have to see how it goes.

And so, right at the appointed time with the perfect punctuality one may expect of a Gentleman, Vesper strides into Mementos clad in his immaculately tailored suit, his opera-style masked visage betraying little in regards to his emotions.

"Good morning, Ogre," he greets with a brief lifting of his bowler hat. "You had matters to discuss?" Even though he reckons there's only thing this could possibly be about, he does tend to keep things vague, never giving away much of anything for no reason. It's a style thing. That, and a bit of worldly wisdom, perhaps.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
<poem>
There is!

Ogre inclines her head, her horned mask glinting in the flickering light of the monitor. "Hey," she greets him, looking him over--mostly out of habit. He seems fine enough, though, so she calls that good.

Style! "Heh. Right to the point, huh? ...Well, that's fine."

She pauses. "Yeah. It's about Eiji Kamiya."

"...You got anything to share?" she wonders. "It's cool if not, but if you do, I want to hear it, since..."

"I have a plan."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
Vesper chuckles in regards to being 'right to the point'. Only the mask affords him that luxury. Direct actions can be quite liberating, for someone who's used to avoiding confrontation. Even then, habits are hard to break. But, sticking to the bit, he keeps it at that mysterious chuckle.

Unfortunately, giving away the initiative does come with down side of allowing Ogre to ask him about his findings first. Well... he does suppose he might be best to rip the band-aid off, in that regard.

"...A plan, you say? I'm quite interested in hearing it... particularly since my own efforts did not entirely go to plan."

He lowers his head slightly, one hand on the brim of his hat. "I managed to infiltrate the Palace alright, in my own way." By which he means, not violently, but through stealth and deception. He's not proud of acting like he was on board with what was going on there, but... well. It's something he can do, for the sake of getting what he wants. Means to an end, and all that. However...

"...I found someone there, one with a face among the faceless, being held captive. A high school student, who I later found out had entered the Palace on a dare of sorts, a test of bravery imposed by her peers." Someone he recognized from Kasugayama, is a detail he keeps to himself.

Raising his head, he questions Ogre, "Have you heard the rumor, in regards to the Akiyoshi Building?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
<poem>
"Yeah?" Ogre wonders. "...That's fine. I'll tell you after you update me about what happened," she says, since that way they're not talking over each other. She does want to know, after all. Infiltrating the Palace...

'Rough as hell, right?" Ogre opines on the Palace. "Even sneaking around it's awful."

But--found someone there? "Oh, shit," she says, her eyes widening under her mask. She takes half a step forward. "Did you get her out?"

Pause. "...Yeah, I've heard it. Something about Shakespeare and breaking into a car, right?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
Rough as hell, that's one way to put it. Vesper seems to prefer to not put it any way at all, saying only, "I won't argue that, for certain. I'd really rather not go into the details, which... I suspect you already know more of than you'd have liked to."

He is quick to dispel the worry with an, "I did," in regards to the student he came across. Again not going into details, because that too involved acting in a way he's not proud of. Still makes him sick to his stomach to consider that whole situation might have been a microcosm of things happening in the real world. Shaking his head, he adds, "Although I suppose I can't prove the claim one way or another... she did not appear to remember the events clearly. Which may be a mercy."

He nods, though then makes a so-so gesture. "It seemed as if events conspired to keep the car in question unlocked. Once I learned of it, and had seen what could become of those who entered the Palace unprepared, I decided to try and halt any more of such incidents. I kept a close eye on forum posts indicating that someone might attempt the rumor, and took steps to keep people away from that car." Again, little in the way of details, but one can imagine that causing people to become unsettled before doing the scary thing might cause them to lose their nerve.

That's when Vesper's head lowers once again, letting out a frustrated sigh. "I... did all I could reasonably manage. And yet... I only learned far too late that I'd made a foolish miscalculation. It was never about any one car. Any car in that car park could work, so long as it was unlocked."

Meeting Ogre's eyes, he then states, "And to you, I owe a personal apology. I had promised to assist in saving Ichika Kawase, yet I could not stay focused on the task." He removes his hat, and bows low. "I am deeply sorry."

This is the kind of person that Vesper is. Someone who cannot choose to focus on helping just one, knowing that in doing so, many others may not get the help they need. And someone who thinks others are likely to consider that a failing.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
<poem>
"I won't then," Ogre answers. "I don't like recalling the details, either." She does indeed know more than she'd like. However, for the worry...

"Good," Ogre answers quickly, her shoulders relaxing somewhat in a visible way as she takes her step backward towards the wall again. "I mean, if you saved her, I don't care if you prove it. I'm glad she doesn't remember too much--that'd be... hard. And hard to explain. Can you imagine trying to explain that place to the cops, say?"

A shake of her head. But...

"Hm... Oh. Yeah."

"...Oh." So it wasn't just one car... "..."

"If you saved one girl," Ogre says, "One person--then that's good enough for me. Ichika's not the only one in danger anymore. Just one other person being saved is worth it, to me. And we're gonna save more than that."

"So, my plan has a few stages... But the first is that I've got a lot of info out of the Palace that i've given to various PIs like you--the Cardboard Dragon, Uchida-san with Kuzunoha--and they're looking into the people and companies we found. For Eiji himself..."

"This is a secret, OK? But I trust you. So I'll tell you that I contacted the Phantom Thieves. They're going to take his heart."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
There's an actual grimace visible on Vesper's lips at the mention of the word 'cops'. He would never turn to them for any solutions to begin with, but his response is more nuanced. "I daresay that would not go over well." Dismissing it as overactive imagination would probably be the best case scenario... given that from what Ichika said during her sessions with Julian, it sounded like Eiji might have them in his pockets.

All the more reason to keep the real world out of this, and look for solutions in the Palace. Something which he wished he could have done more of... until he got distracted, in a way that reached the limits of what he felt he could have on his conscience. Some professional investigator, he'd expect others to say. But that's not what Ogre says.

How he feels about that isn't readable in what's visible of his expression, when he calmly straightens and puts his hat back on. "Thank you for saying so. Your exterior may be fierce, but you have a magnanimous heart, Ogre."

And it's a good point: there is a big picture here. Many more still would be saved if they could dismantle the entire operation. Private investigators, rather than the police, did seem like the proper route to take... but all things considered, it would likely be a long, long road. Unless...

Vesper nearly loses his footing at Ogre's next words. So it is possible to take him completely off guard. "You... managed to get into contact with the Phantom Thieves? How on earth did you manage that? ...Not the website, certainly?" He never believed for a second that was legit at all, if it was that easy it would be his biggest investigative blunder yet.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ogre appreciates that grimace. ...Because she's pretty sure Eiji ''does'' work with the police, one way or another. Especially the ones in Sumaru...

Maybe that's why he funnels his targets to Sumaru, instead of keeping them in Iwatodai.

Ogre sees him straighten, doesn't realize how big it is to him. But she smiles anyway. "It's cool," she says. "'Justice' is more than just one person. ...Though don't get me wrong. I'm not forgetting about any specific people here, either."

But a long road indeed. Until...

Until that. "The website was a good start," she said, "But obviously I couldn't just... ask them to do it on the site. No, I asked to meet them here in Mementos--and then after some shuffling, to make sure it wasn't a trap or something I guess, they sent one of them to meet me."

"Turns out, I'd already met one--which is probably why they agreed. Anyway, the long and short is..."

"I'm gonna do this job with them. And if the heist goes funny, we might need some more muscle. I don't wanna fail before I've started or anything, I just--think it's good to have you on alert."

"So yeah. That's what I'm gonna do. It's not my place to invite you to the heist... But when they send the card, be ready to go to the Palace, if you want to help us get out."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
"Justice..." Vesper intones, in response to Ogre's words. He doesn't feel right about claiming to be on the side of Justice, but... it's true enough that he can't stand to see Injustice done to those who did nothing to deserve it. He has some complicated feelings there, but Ogre makes it sound so simple. 'youth', he catches himself thinking, making himself feel old.

Maybe that's why the Phantom Thieves all seemed to be so young, from what he could tell. You might need to be able to at least adopt a youthful mindset to be able to stand against any sort of vested order. A lesson that he should take to heart, perhaps.

Although he asks, the details given to him about contacting the Phantom Thieves feel like some important steps are being left out. But he didn't expect differently. If it would be that simple to get the Phantom Thieves to stage a heist, there would be many more verifiable reports of their activity around. They do, after all, seem to value their notoriety, rather than seek to keep their accomplishments under wraps.

But Vesper doesn't ask for the details. He just makes the occasional 'hm' sound, leaning on the umbrella that he planted down. As interesting as it is that Ogre might know one of the Phantom Thieves on a personal level, he's not going to ask. He understands the importance of anonymity, and couldn't compromise it without being a hypocrite, besides.

"I see," he finally speaks after that long period of mostly silence, listening to Ogre's plans. "Well then... I appreciate the act of faith, in choosing to be forthright with me on this. So let me be perfectly forthright with you."

Vesper raises his eyes upward, as if he could see through the distorted subways up to the world above. "The problems of the world today run deep. Oftentimes, too deep to confront head-on, no matter how much we may want to. I, for one, cannot be satisfied with simply sitting by, hoping for things to improve... yet I recognize, also, that what I can personally accomplish is limited."

He lowers his gaze back down to Ogre, casually flicking his umbrella upwards to land neatly back where he usually keeps it, dangling off his arm. "But the Phantom Thieves... they have found a means to enact true change. I can't claim to know the exact nature of said means, but the results speak for themselves. There's no question that their acts have improved people's lives for the better." A slight grin forms on his lips. "So believe me when I say that... by my reckoning, the world needs the Phantom Thieves. And it would be my absolute pleasure to assist in whatever way I'm able."

Bringing his arm inward, he bows like a butler might. "But don't take my word for it. Let my actions speak for themselves, as well. Expect to see me there, when the time comes."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ogre wants to be on the side of justice. She does make it simple. Youth, indeed. She's young, for all that she's dealt with very adult problems--and maybe she's learning to lean into that, too.

She's definitely leaving out some details.. But that's not important right now. Instead, the young woman before Vesper stands strong. She's tall (though not as tall as Vesper) and proud--different from how she was when she was relating her tale to Vesper in the first place.

There's silence, but...

"Hm?" Forthright with her. She lowers her arms from where she'd crossed them, and listens.

"...Yeah," she says of the problems that are in the world today. But the Phantom Thieves...

"Great," Ogre answers when he's made it clear, smiling back. "That's what I think, too. I don't think the Phantom Thieves can solve everything... but if they can take down people like Eiji, or that Kaneshiro.. I'm in, you know? One step at a time."

She beams back. "Awesome," she says. "I'll be waiting to see it."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
As much as Vesper enjoys withholding information for the sake of keeping a mystery going, times like this compel him to honesty. At least where it comes to the subject at hand, and when speaking to someone who's made it clear to be an ally, in regards to where they stand in changing the world for the better. He may have a tendency towards acting alone, but that doesn't mean it has to feel lonely.

The start of a laugh actually escapes him by the end of it, which he reels back in with a cough, before affirming, "Indeed... this won't the first time I'll see them in person. By coincidence, I happened to be there when they confronted Kaneshiro, as well. ...I say 'coincidence', but people like me, we have a way of getting involved when people have been pushed too far. Isn't that right?" One of the eyes behind the mask vanishing for longer than a blink probably means he winked just now.

Of course, the implication remains that people hire him for this sort of thing. The fact that he doesn't charge anything as long as the job is 'of interest' to him does speak of his personal motivations... but people are free to think what they like, of course. All part of what makes things interesting in the first place.

For now, Vesper adjusts his tie as he assures Ogre, "I'll endeavour not to keep you waiting long."
</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 1]]

Niko Kirisaki

2025-12-04T22:48:11Z

Fureasei: Added artwork!

{| class="toccolours" style="width: 15%; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="background:#000000; border: 2px #FF69B4 solid; font size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Niko Kirisaki'''
|-
! colspan="2" align="center" | [[File:Niko_Kirisaki.png|300px]]
|-
! style="background:#000000; border: 2px #FF69B4 solid; font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''IC Information'''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Full Name:
| Niko Kirisaki (霧崎仁子)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Arcana:
| [[Tarot#Moon|The Moon]] (XVIII)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Gender:
| Female
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Age (Birthdate):
| 16 (February 27, 1996)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Hair Colour:
| Hot Pink (dyed)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Eye Colour:
| Sea Green
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Height:
| 5'6" / 168 cm
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Residence:
| Tatsumi Port Island
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Workplace:
| Variable
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Job:
| Self-Employed
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Role:
| Nemesis
|-
! style="background:#000000; border: 2px #FF69B4 solid; font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''OOC Information'''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Source:
| Persona 3 (OC)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Voice Actor:
| Mariya Ise / Sarah Williams
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Groups:
| [[Strega]]
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Player:
| [[User:Fureasei|Fureasei]]
|-
|}

'''"What's wrong with having a little fun? You should join in!"'''

With the fashion style of a street punk, the body of a professional athlete, and a disarmingly cheerful and carefree disposition, Niko Kirisaki is a creature of contradiction. Which only gets worse once you get to know her, and come to realize her friendly attitude and playful teasing can devolve into scathing rebukes and savage beatings with little provocation, all delivered with that same sunny smile. Harrowing childhood experiments that forcibly awakened her as an Artificial Persona User are to blame for both the strengthening of her physique and the fracturing of her psyche, to the point of loosening her grip on reality. Though still largely dissociated, she's managed to regain a fragile sense of belonging in hooking up with Strega, and is all too eager to lend them some extra muscle whenever needed.

= Background =

This life subsists on fading breath 
Acceptance is akin to death 
Reflections cast show naught but lies 
Behind the mirror I'll find my prize

==Season 1, Episode 1==
In progress!

= Persona =
'''Ate''': A dark blue-tinted spectral entity which appears to consist of only a giant head in its resting state. Its feminine, unmarred, statue-like face is frozen in a blank expression, with naught but empty hollows where eyes should be. Its hair, impossibly long, writhes and flutters like a living shadow, mimicking the appearance of a phantasmal cloak.

The Greek mythological personification of moral blindness, Ate (pronounced ah-tay) inspires delusion, recklessness, folly and ruin. Originally an agent of Zeus's divine retribution, she was blamed for blinding him to the treachery of Hera and cast down from Olympus.

= Special Skills =

Niko's most special skill is being so disarmingly friendly and cheerful most of the time that you may entirely forget about the fact that she is built like a freight train and almost certainly could - and may suddenly decide to - kick your ass.

Her Approaches are as follows:
* '''Crazy Talk''' - You need suggestions? Niko has all kinds of suggestions. Niko cannot guarantee that they are good suggestions, or even have anything to do with the problem at hand.
* '''Just Smash It''' - Except this suggestion, this one is ''always'' good and helpful. Niko will be happy to follow through on it, too!
* '''Happy-Go-Lucky''' - Niko doesn't appear to have a care in the world - whatever else you may think of her, it's hard to deny that her cheery attitude can be quite infectious.

=Relationships=

You speak, yet meaning slips away 
All is lost in the endless gray 
Venture not into this blur 
Lest it swallow all you were

= Soundtrack =

<ul>
<li>Main Theme - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEsbEvj0JeU Neo: The World Ends With You OST - Unpainted]</li>

<li>Strega Battle Theme (Niko ver.) - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdY8dES2ug4 Persona 3 - Unavoidable Battle (Metal Cover)]</li>
</ul>

= Logs and Cutscenes =

==Season 1==

===Logs===

{{#dpl:
|category = logs&season 1
|linksto = {{PAGENAME}}
|ordermethod = title
|columns = 3
|rowcolformat=width=50%
|suppresserrors = yes
| addcategories = true
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|noresultsheader=There are no logs on this wiki that {{PAGENAME}} participated in.
}}

===Cutscenes===

{{#dpl:
|category = cutscenes&season 1
|linksto = {{PAGENAME}}
|ordermethod = title
|columns = 3
|rowcolformat=width=50%
|suppresserrors = yes
| addcategories = true
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| format = ,,\n* [[%PAGE%]],
|noresultsheader=
}}

[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Strega]]
[[Category:Nemesis]]

Julian Marlowe

2025-12-04T22:47:49Z

Fureasei: Added artwork!

{| class="toccolours" style="width: 15%; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="background:#DEAD17; border: 2px #000000 solid; font size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Julian Marlowe'''
|-
! colspan="2" align="center" | [[File:Julian_Marlowe.png|300px]]
|-
! style="background:#DEAD17; border: 2px #000000 solid; font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''IC Information'''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Full Name:
| Julian Marlowe
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Arcana:
| [[Tarot#Fortune|Fortune]] (X)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Gender:
| Male
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Age (Birthdate):
| 27 (October 15, 1984)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Hair Colour:
| Straw Blonde
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Eye Colour:
| Steel Blue
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Height:
| 6'0" / 183 cm
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Residence:
| Tomigaya district, Shibuya, Tokyo
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Workplace:
| Kasugayama High School
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Job:
| English Teacher / Guidance Counselor
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Role:
| Focus
|-
! style="background:#DEAD17; border: 2px #000000 solid; font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''OOC Information'''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Source:
| Persona 5 (OC)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Voice Actor:
| Kazuhiko Inoue / Troy Baker
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Groups:
| None
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Player:
| [[User:Fureasei|Fureasei]]
|-
|}

'''"I'd much rather be a meddler than ignore those who could benefit from a little meddling."'''

Julian Marlowe is Kasugayama High's new English teacher and guidance counselor, a young man from Britain with the impeccable manners one would expect from a self-styled Gentleman. Yet below his calm, somewhat quirky exterior beats a passionate heart that genuinely wishes nothing but the very best for his students, and the will to bring it out of them through whatever means necessary. Seeking to bury a turbulent past that cost him everything, his new life in Japan also ended up including a different sort of adventure: answering the Will of Rebellion and taking on the alternate identity of Vesper, the jovial and over-eager Supernatural Investigator with a flair for the dramatic.

= Background =
Julian is a recent immigrant from London, arriving in Tokyo in early 2012. Though he may not quite know all the ins and outs of Japanese culture, his mastery over the Japanese language and knowledge of the local customs is striking - suggesting he didn't travel there on a whim. He lives alone in a very nice apartment in the Tomigaya district of Shibuya, which suggests he's been doing rather well for himself.

But at present, aside from the impressive credentials that effortlessly got him the position at Kasugayama High, no one really knows much of anything about what his life in his home country was like. Julian doesn't tend to talk much about himself in general, but where it comes to his past before 2012, he's been exceptionally tight-lipped.

==Season 1, Episode 1==
In progress!

= Persona =
'''Raffles''': A humanoid-shaped figure wearing a fashionable dark trench coat over a white cricket jersey bearing the number 17 in red, carrying a diamond-tipped walking cane in the left hand and a cricket bat in the right. His right side limbs are notably inhuman, made up out of a mass of dark tendrils - wrapped around the bat, in the case of the right 'hand'. His face is covered by an iron face guard styled halfway between that of a cricket catcher and a Man In The Iron Mask-style prisoner's helmet, only leaving openings for the eyes and mouth, through which a bright yellow light shines.

Based on the character A.J. Raffles from the novels written by E.W. Hornung, this self-described 'Amateur Cracksman' mingled in high society as the very picture of a British gentleman, admired for his skill at cricket. By night, he would use his mastery of disguise and proficiency at constructing makeshift burglary tools to steal from those he considered undeserving of their riches.

= Special Skills =

Though he has his area of expertise in counseling, Julian has an uncommonly wide range of knowledge and experiences, and is very quick to adapt and improvise based on the circumstances. If there is a limit to his patience, or any way to provoke him into rudeness, it has yet to be discovered.

His Approaches are as follows:
* '''Counsel''' - It's right there in the job description! Julian always has a well-meaning word of advice to give, employing his Understanding of people and situations to steer a situation towards a positive outcome.
* '''Inspire''' - Though perfectly aware of his natural Charm and how that could be used as an asset, generally speaking, there's nothing disingenuous about Julian's words of flattery and encouragement. He's simply helping to boost confidence and bring out the best in others.
* '''Swagger''' - When all else fails, and you have no idea what you should be doing, fake it 'til you make it. Julian is Gutsy enough to try and bluff his way through situations with nothing but false bravado.

=Relationships=

(I'm historically very bad at keeping up with these, we'll see if I manage!)

===Notable NPCs===
* '''Tomoyo Harayama''' - A second year at Kasugayama High school. Julian's staunchest supporter, putting up with any and all teacher's pet allegations to defend him as a well-meaning individual who really cares about his students. Quiet and withdrawn until a few weeks after Julian arrived, now unafraid to freely speak her mind and stand up for herself. Is this the power of counseling...?

= Soundtrack =

<ul>
<li>Main Theme (Julian) - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWYG7lZBc6U Mumford & Sons - After the Storm]</li>

<li>Main Theme (Vesper) - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAXm2FcEUBw The Scarlet Pimpernel (musical) - The Riddle]</li>
</ul>

= Logs and Cutscenes =

==Season 1==

{{#dpl:
|category = logs&season 1
|linksto = {{PAGENAME}}
|ordermethod = title
|columns = 3
|rowcolformat=width=50%
|suppresserrors = yes
| addcategories = true
| mode = userformat
| format = ,,\n* [[%PAGE%]],
|noresultsheader=There are no logs on this wiki that {{PAGENAME}} participated in.
}}

{{#dpl:
|category = cutscenes&season 1
|linksto = {{PAGENAME}}
|ordermethod = title
|columns = 3
|rowcolformat=width=50%
|suppresserrors = yes
| addcategories = true
| mode = userformat
| format = ,,\n* [[%PAGE%]],
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[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Kasugayama High School]]
[[Category:Focus]]

File:Niko Kirisaki.png

2025-12-04T22:47:04Z

Fureasei: Niko Kirisaki, by @harleequeen.bsky.social!

== Summary ==
Niko Kirisaki, by @harleequeen.bsky.social!

File:Julian Marlowe.png

2025-12-04T22:46:57Z

Fureasei: Julian Marlowe, by @harleequeen.bsky.social!

== Summary ==
Julian Marlowe, by @harleequeen.bsky.social!

2025-10-31: Understanding Through Revenge

2025-11-20T19:11:29Z

Fureasei: Created page with "*'''Log: Understanding Through Revenge''' *'''Cast:''' Niko Kirisaki, Shinobu Shimizu *'''Where:''' Hirasaka - Main *'''OOC Date:''' October 31, 2025 *'''IC Date:''' August 03, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''Shinobu responds to sounds of distress during a Dark Hour patrol, only to have the misfortune of running into Niko. Still sore over their last meeting, Niko vents her frustrations by attacking Shinobu, while demanding to figure out exactly why she's upset. Somehow, t..."

*'''Log: Understanding Through Revenge'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Niko Kirisaki]], [[Shinobu Shimizu]]
*'''Where:''' Hirasaka - Main
*'''OOC Date:''' October 31, 2025
*'''IC Date:''' August 03, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Shinobu responds to sounds of distress during a Dark Hour patrol, only to have the misfortune of running into Niko. Still sore over their last meeting, Niko vents her frustrations by attacking Shinobu, while demanding to figure out exactly why she's upset. Somehow, this settles their differences, at least where Niko's concerned.''

----

(|============================= Hirasaka - Main ==============================|)
-=============================================== Sumaru City/Hirasaka Ward ====-
The westernmost ward of the city, and also the one furthest inland, Hirasaka is
considered one of the least desirable places to live in Sumaru. This is in part
due to the bad reputation of local Kasugayama High School, nicknamed "Kasu High"
by its students and "Cuss High" by its detractors. A school of overwhelmingly
boys but some errant girls, it's said to be for delinquents, poors, and other
"problem" children. Just down the street is Sumaru Prison, which is not a prison
but an underground club with a live stage, and either way the parents of Sevens
students hate it.

It's not all bad in Hirasaka, though. The shopping is second to none, with a
huge five-story mall called Smile Hirasaka that offers a wide variety of
businesses and conference meeting rooms; just be sure to go on a day when the
stores aren't closed. For those who want a more homey atmosphere for their
purchases, there's Kameya Alley. Plenty of office buildings populate the area,
too.

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Sound carries in the Dark Hour. It's an understated property of the supernatural phenomenon, simply because of all the other things that are more notably Off about it. It's only after you get used it that it starts to stand out just how ''quiet'' the world becomes, once just about all of the expected sounds are no longer present. It simply cannot compare even to the more natural quiet of normal late-night hours. Which is just as well... it helps one notice less natural sounds all the easier for it.

However, the sound that rings out through the streets of Hirasaka deep into this night's Dark Hour is one that sounds wholly natural, if alarming in its own way. There's a scream coming from somewhere within the alleyways twisting between the nearby buildings. Not so much the kind of scream that speaks of panic and distress, but more on the side of surprise and annoyance, even anger. Even so, the same conclusion can be reached from it. Somebody ran into an unexpected bit of trouble.

Even hurrying, it will take some time to trace the sound to its source, which becomes easier when sounds of combat start to filter in. A trained ear may be able to determine a single person - the distinctive sound of Evoker use marking them as a Persona User - up against what sounds like multiple types of Shadows. There are reasons to be worried of the sounds of chains... but the Reaper is not involved, thankfully.

Once sighted, it is evident that the only chain on the scene is in the hands of the Persona User in question... and that all that remains of the Shadows at this point is but a single one. One might struggle to still recognize it as a Laughing Table - it certainly has nothing to laugh about right now, crumpled on the ground as it is, a pink-haired and very angry teenager bearing down on it. Even viewed from behind, it's not much of a struggle to recognize Niko of Strega, underdressed in all black as she usually is.

It's time for an all-out solo attack... which in Niko's case, takes the form of her stomping on the downed enemy, again and again, as she vents her frustrations aloud. "How. Dare. You. You. Piece. Of. Shit!" What remains of the Shadow after that dissolves into black smoke, leaving only a heavily breathing Niko standing there. "...That's what you get for messing with me. Asshole."

She doesn't appear to have sensed anyone else's presence in the area, yet. Which begs the question... what's the play here?

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
<poem>Dark Hour patrols have become a normal part of life for Shinobu. She doesn't do them ''every'' night, there are some nights she needs rest - but ''tonight'', she's active. She pedals down the street on her bike. Manual, of course. At one point she wanted to get a motorcycle, but she's thankful now for having something that works even in the Dark Hour. It lets her cover more ground... and in the eerie silence of this time, that can be all she needs to find trouble - or for trouble to find her.

And as she pedals, she begin to hear sounds. Screams of surprise and anger... and the sounds of battle, as she gets closer. Of course she gets closer. The alleyways of Hirasaka Ward can be dangerous - just ask her how she Awakened - but she knows her way around them.

The sound of chains, and the sound of Shadows... The reverberating fire of an Evoker. One of those SEES kids, maybe...? Shinobu dismounts from her bike, drawing closer. She reaches for the duffel bag over one shoulder, drawing her staff...

...But it seems she won't need it for the ''Shadows'', as when she arrives, the last remaining Shadow is being stomped into the pavement by an angry, pink-haired teenager. One she recognizes - Niko is hard to miss, once you've met her. She doesn't put her staff away just yet. Instead, she rests it against her shoulder as she assesses Niko.

She doesn't seem to have been noticed yet - she could take this opportunity to get out of here while the getting's good. She ''could''. But instead -

"...Looks like you handled it well enough. Guess I didn't need to check in after all." Shinobu observes.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Niko doesn't do patrols so much as she looks for ways to relieve boredom, if she has nothing better to do. This sort of thing might have actually been welcome to her... providing that's what she was after, and it went the way she wanted. Considering her mood, it's safe to say that something about this wasn't entirely to her liking, to put it mildly.

Following the altercation, she, too, has a choice. She could have made herself scarce, avoid any additional trouble that the noise might have attracted. She got worked up, but she's not worn out, she could have managed to beat a quick retreat. Instead, she waited. Almost daring life to throw her another curveball. And when it inevitably does...

It's a surprise that it comes in the form of a person. One that she knows, even. She remembers Shinobu's voice, not needing to turn first to see who it is. But turn she does, after a moment. Her expression is even, which may be surprising given her emotional state a moment ago. The other standout detail is that she's visibly injured. Blood trickles down her right leg from a fresh cut near her knee. She doesn't appear to be bothered by it.

"Oh. It's you. Well isn't that convenient?"

There's no need to question what she means, as Niko proceeds to raise up her right arm, then moves it down sharply, causing the chain she holds to slam into the pavement, cracking it on impact.

"I didn't even want your help. I don't like you. And I'm still pissed off!"

With that, she rushes Shinobu, that leg wound not appearing to hold her back from running full speed. Lashing out directly this time, it's Shinobu's weapon that Niko aims for, trying to constrict and restrain that staff using her own weapon. She feels a little better already, enough so for a grin to appear.

"How about it, wanna play a game? Tell you what... if you can figure out exactly ''why'' I don't like you, I'll stop attacking you."
</poem>

AS: Weapon! Niko Kirisaki has used the Strike skill Ensnaring Embrace on Shinobu Shimizu!
AS: Ruin: Niko Kirisaki gains 1 Limit!
AS: Avoid Worst! Shinobu Shimizu takes 84 Strike damage from Niko Kirisaki's Ensnaring Embrace.
AS: Bind and Paralyze added!

<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
<poem>'Convenient', she says. A frown crosses Shinobu's face, and she tenses. She held back because she was wounded - but it looks like she still has enough energy to put on a threat display - and to ''attack''. Niko lunges in and Shinobu backpedals, trying to get away - but it's hard to judge the length of that chain. It catches onto her staff, and Shinobu lets out an annoyed 'tsk'.

Serves her right, she supposes, for not turning tail when she had the chance - or moving to attack first. She ''knows'' Niko's dangerous.

"...That's gonna be hard." Shinobu replies, teeth clenched. "We didn't exactly leave a good first impression on each other. Mind narrowing it ''down for me!?''"

She ''yanks'' her staff back, in time with her words as she tries to pull Niko off balance. It's hard to move the weapon - but as long as Niko's holding onto the other end of ''her'' weapon, she can exert some control, too. She doesn't waste any time - the other end of the staff comes around, jabbing toward Niko.
</poem>

AS: Weapon! Shinobu Shimizu has used the Strike skill Jab Flurry on Niko Kirisaki! 3 Hits!
AS: Aggression: Shinobu Shimizu gains 1 Limit!
AS: Counter Best! Niko Kirisaki takes 44 Strike damage from Shinobu Shimizu's Jab Flurry. Critical Hit!
AS: COUNTER! Shinobu Shimizu takes 40 Strike damage in return for her attack!
AS: Block Neutral! Niko Kirisaki takes 44 Strike damage from Shinobu Shimizu's Jab Flurry. Critical Hit!
AS: Avoid Best! Niko Kirisaki takes 33 Strike damage from Shinobu Shimizu's Jab Flurry. Critical Hit!

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
It's a good move, in the sense that Niko's surprised expression gives away that she wasn't expecting an attempt to take her on in a contest of physical force. It's a bad move, in the sense that Niko is well-versed in contests of physical force. Her physique would suggest as much, and she puts it on display immediately upon being pulled forward, lashing out with her left fist with far more force than a great majority of girls her age could manage.

That's as far as her advantage goes - once Shinobu gets a solid hold of her weapon, she has the advantage of reach, forcing Niko to go on the defensive, blocking one hit with crossed arms, then rolling aside to avoid the next. She quickly gets back to her feet, hopping from one foot to another. The smile has gotten more genuine already. She's already having more fun than she was a moment ago.

"Alright, alright, not bad. Since you're taking this seriously, sure, I'll throw you a bone. How about this: it was something you said. Think carefully now~"

She's not about to make it easy to focus on thinking though. As soon as she stops talking, she swings her chain forward again, but focusing on pure brute force this time. Which, as the pavement can attest, has has a considerable amount of.
</poem>

AS: Weapon! Niko Kirisaki has used the Strike skill Steel Snap on Shinobu Shimizu!
AS: Avoid Best! Shinobu Shimizu takes 74 Strike damage from Niko Kirisaki's Steel Snap.

<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
<poem>Shinobu pulls Niko forward - and she gets a punch for her efforts. She staggers back with a wheeze as it hits home, but keeps a tight hold on her weapon. She knows how to take a punch, at least - she's no stranger to contests of physical force, either.

Niko is forced onto the defensive - but she seems to actually be ''enjoying'' herself. Shinobu watches her carefully, her brow furrowing as she continues.

"Somethin' I said...? You expect me to remember something I said a couple of weeks ago?" Shinobu asks. She tries to think back - but doesn't get any time to do so. Niko's chain swings forward and Shinobu dodges to the side, staff sweeping out to divert its course. It slams instead into her side, where her concealed armor is thickest - she exhales a hiss of pain, but it's not as severe as if she took it head-on. In turn, Shinobu races in.

"What, is this 'cause I didn't buy into your 'nothing matters' shit?" She asks - and her staff is spun forward, carving vicious circles through the air. But still, she frowns - she's not fully convinced that's it...
</poem>

AS: Weapon! Shinobu Shimizu has used the Strike skill Spinning Staff on Niko Kirisaki! 3 Hits!
AS: Aggression: Shinobu Shimizu gains 1 Limit!
AS: Shinobu Shimizu: Bind and Paralyze removed!
AS: Niko Kirisaki spends Limit on Brace!
AS: Block Worst! Niko Kirisaki takes 49 Strike damage from Shinobu Shimizu's Spinning Staff. Critical Hit!
AS: Block Neutral! Niko Kirisaki takes 20 Strike damage from Shinobu Shimizu's Spinning Staff.
AS: Block Neutral! Niko Kirisaki takes 20 Strike damage from Shinobu Shimizu's Spinning Staff.

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Niko's frown in response to Shinobu's words says it all. Yes, she very much DID expect Shinobu to remember something she said weeks ago. She's still mad about it, obviously to her those words very much mattered. To be so dismissive about it now... Niko clicks her tongue.

"So that's how it is with you? You just talk shit and don't care enough to remember what you said to who? Disappointing."

Dampening Niko's mood does no one any favors. When Shinobu rushes her, the change in her demeanor is immediately obvious. After the first hit, carrying enough momentum to send her reeling back, the others are deflected away from her with instinctive parries, following Niko's sudden full focus on defense. The way she backs off after has all the sense of her choosing to abandon her assault. Did Shinobu guess right? Well...

"Honestly, good for you, as long as you can manage to keep living like that. I don't care what you believe about that." With that, she draws her Evoker, pointing it at Shinobu. It wouldn't do anything if she fired it like that of course, but still, there's an implied threat in pointing a gun-like object at someone.

"Think it over again. Remember what you accused me of. And then... ''take it back''."

Turning about her hand, she fires the Evoker at her own head, summoning the giant statue-like head that is Ate. Without any further words from Niko, the Persona simply charges straight ahead, seeking to collide with Shinobu, keep going, turn about, and do it again from the other side before returning to float behind Niko, who makes a shrugging motion. "Well? Did that jog your memory?"
</poem>

AS: Persona! Niko Kirisaki has used the Strike skill Assault Dive on Shinobu Shimizu! 2 Hits!
AS: Ruin: Niko Kirisaki gains 1 Limit!
AS: Shinobu Shimizu spends Limit on Brace!
AS: Avoid Best! Shinobu Shimizu takes 35 Strike damage from Niko Kirisaki's Assault Dive. Critical Hit!
AS: Blast added!
AS: Avoid Neutral! Shinobu Shimizu takes 42 Strike damage from Niko Kirisaki's Assault Dive.
AS: Blast added!

<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
<poem>...Looks like that upset her. If Shinobu was the kind of person who was more mindful about that, they probably wouldn't be fighting right now.

...Well, maybe not over this ''exact'' situation.

"Hey, there was a ''lot'' going on. You try pulling something up from a tense situation on short notice after the fact, we see how well ''you'' do with it." Shinobu retorts.

Niko is knocked back, focusing on defense... Shinobu is suspicious, rather than treating it as an opportunity. She keeps her staff ready - and Niko continues. Her Evoker is drawn, pointing at her. Shinobu tenses.

She doubts it'll do anything to her - but what it ''means'' matters more. The Evoker is fired - at Niko, rather than her. The statue-like head emerged. Cursing silently, Shinobu leaps to the side - but a moment too late. She brings her staff up. Ate ''slams'' into it, knocking her off-balance - and when it comes around for another pass, Shinobu is sent crashing to the ground.

What did she say? What did she accuse her of...?

...Oh.

Oh yeah.

She remembers what happened, now. And she remembers that ''look''.

With a groan, Shinobu hauls herself back to her feet, rolling her neck.

"...Yeah. Yeah, I think you mighta knocked a few memories loose there." She says. "...But I'm not gonna disrespect either of us by apologizing or taking it back. Did it hurt? Tell me why that ''is''. Tell me why you think I ''should''."

She's not about to back down either, though.

"Lachesis!" Shinobu calls out. The hooded figure appears behind her, bearing her staff. Lachesis looks between the both of them. Her fingers travel down her staff - and then come to a stop.

An aura of protection surrounds Shinobu, to mitigate harm - and then she rushes forward, Lachesis following behind her. Shinobu dodges to the side, moving to catch Niko and Ate in a pincer attack.
</poem>

AS: Shinobu Shimizu spends Limit on Exploit! Shinobu Shimizu can use another Weak skill this round!
AS: Persona! Shinobu Shimizu has used the Almighty skill Protected Fate on Shinobu Shimizu!
AS: Take! Shinobu Shimizu takes 0 Almighty damage from Shinobu Shimizu's Protected Fate.
AS: Def_Up and Spd_Up added!
AS: Tandem! Shinobu Shimizu has used the Strike skill Split Decision on Niko Kirisaki! 2 Hits!
AS: Aggression: Shinobu Shimizu gains 1 Limit!
AS: Avoid Neutral! Niko Kirisaki takes 64 Strike damage from Shinobu Shimizu's Split Decision. Critical Hit!
AS: Avoid Best! Niko Kirisaki takes 17 Strike damage from Shinobu Shimizu's Split Decision.

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Niko retorts to the retort the only way she knows how. "I'd do better than ''you''!" Like a teenager.

But, after all's said and done... it looks like that managed to do it. Niko listens attentively, at first... but then rapidly gets upset again. "Why you...! Don't turn this around, I don't owe you anything, you owe ''me''!" That's how she figures it, anyway. She waves a hand, commanding, "Ate!" right after Shinobu summons her own Persona. The hard way it is then, it seems.

Thanks to that, the way things end up going isn't so much a pincer attack as it is Niko's Persona blocking Lachesis - and shattering from the impact, while Niko can focus on avoiding Shinobu's assault. The headache from that Persona break is by far the worst part of the exchange for her. Even so, she could have struck back, emphasizing the point by lashing out with her chain following that dodge... but, purposely, only striking the poor abused pavement once again.

"Ok, ok, enough!" With a practiced motion, she very quickly wraps the chain around her waist, looped in such a way that it remains in place, after which she raises her hand. "Unlike YOU, I remember what I said. You just had to figure out the reason for me to stop, apologizing for it wasn't part of the deal. See? I'm fair." She crosses her arms. "Even if you never actually SAID what it is, I'm willing to take your word for it. That's just how fair I am."

She looks down, actually wincing a bit when she looks down at her leg. It's not nearly as bad as all the blood makes it look, but it's just a mess at this point. "Could you have figured it out any slower? I gotta get this bandaged, you know." She does care about that injury, as much as it looked like it didn't bother her while she was fighting.

She is silent a moment, considering whether to say anything more. But, in the end... she looks off to the side, leaving it at, "...Just remember. Not everybody does everything they do because they want to. You keep assuming that, you're gonna have problems with a lot more people than just me."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
<poem>"Really?" Shinobu replies rhetorically, with a shake of her head. ...Guess that's what happens when she argues with a teenager. That was on her.

Niko declares that ''she's'' the one who owes ''her'', and Shinobu shakes her head.

"Yeah? How do you figure that?" She asks. The hard way, indeed. But in the end, Ate breaks, but Niko escapes her attack. Her chain lashes out and Shinobu starts a dodge - but instead of going for ''her'', it only strikes pavement. Shinobu steps back as Niko declares enough - but the chain is wrapped around her waist, lodged into place.

...She's stopping the fight? Shinobu watches her suspiciously for a moment... but she takes a step back and elects to take her at her word, returning her staff to the duffel bag.

"'Fair', huh." Shinobu repeats, studying her for a moment - and then admits, "...Guess you never said I had to."

Her attention is turned back toward Niko's leg - and then, she exhales a sigh.

"...You're the one who picked a fight with ''me''." She replies, shaking her head. She reaches into her duffel bag again. But not for her staff. She draws out a roll of bandages, tossing them Niko's way. "...Got some cleaning solution too, if you need it. If you still don't want my help then, whatever. You can throw it in the trash."

...Not everybody does everything they do because they want to, huh. Shinobu frowns, at that thought. She thinks back. ...She isn't the first one she's met, who seems to be bound to something bigger than she is. Shinobu sighs.

"...Yeah. I'm starting to figure that out." She admits, massaging the back of her neck.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Yes, really. The fact that Niko is a teenager is perhaps easy to forget, given that teenagers don't generally look like they've been lifting weights since they were six years old. But it's important to remember all the same. She will absolutely act her age at times like this. She doesn't owe anybody any explanations, but everybody else owes her whatever it is she wants at the current point in time. Everyone's been there, right?

Yet even so, Niko thinks she's being extremely reasonable here, allowing for this much leeway in the 'deal' that she'd decided was a thing and started a fight over completely on her own accord. "You get way too hung up on the details," is her very reasonable response when Shinobu points out that very thing.

She freezes a moment, when she sees Shinobu going for the bag again, but when the bandages come out... she snatches them out of the air. Inspecting them as if looking for reasons to find that suspicious, she shrugs after a moment, deciding, "Eh. Saves me some time." She wags a finger. "Not gonna let my guard down here though. This is where we leave to go take care of our own problems."

The finger moves to tap her lips. "Hmmm... seems like I don't think of you as a problem anymore. So I guess that means I've forgiven you? Must be." She lets out a brief giggle. "Jin-chan was right, revenge does make everything better."

Shinobu's words certainly don't do anything to convince her otherwise, prompting a firm nod. "As long as you understand now. Then, we're good! Thank goodness. You lose so much energy over grudges, nobody needs that shit. We should all be friends! Right?" Is she for r-- "Right!" She's totally for real, and will brook no argument.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
<poem>"...I do, huh." Shinobu replies, as Niko says ''she'' gets way too hung up on the details. She shakes her head. She thinks she's focusing on them just exactly the right amount, but... Well, she's already learned her lesson about arguing.

She doesn't blame Niko for being suspicious, though - they ''did'' just fight each other.

"Fair enough. Can't exactly blame you there." Shinobu replies with a shrug. The fact that she's willing to at least take it is good enough for her - she might not like her, but she's also not the type of person who can let a kid just run off with a wounded leg without doing something.

Shinobu raises an eyebrow, though, as Niko decides she doesn't think of her as a problem anymore. She's forgiven her? Just like that?

"'Jin-chan' said that, huh." Shinobu replies. ...She keeps some dangerous rolemodels. But it's not like she isn't aware of who she's working with.

They're 'good', Niko declares - they should all be friends. Shinobu stares taken aback by this sudden declaration.

"Uh... Friends. Right." She says - more out of dumbfoundedness than anything. This was... ''not'' how she expected this encounter to end.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
You see Niko's point? If only everyone would just agree with everything she says and let her do whatever she wants, there wouldn't be any problems! It's plain to see how much her mood's improved now that there isn't anything to argue over anymore. With just a little bit of understanding, even forgiveness is easy, from Niko's point of view.

...To be fair, even Niko doesn't expect or even truly want anyone to fully understand her. If anyone could, that might be a lot more worrisome than... whatever the dynamic is that does manages to somehow get going with people. But she does so appreciate that dynamic, and sees nothing wrong with trying to get one going with Shinobu. After all, they worked out their differences just now, right? Seemed close enough. Indeed, all it took was a little revenge.

"Yeah! You remember Jin-chan. The cranky dude with glasses and grenades? He's great," she says of the one who reminded her of that. Seems accurate from her point of view! Shinobu's might differ a little, given their last meeting. Even Niko gets that much, adding, "You'll see once you get to know him." That's something Shinobu would actually want, right? She's not objecting to being friends with Niko, so clearly they're on the same page here.

"Alright! Well it's been fun," has it??? "But I better be off now. You go out the other way, okay~?" With that, Niko heads down the alleys in the direction that takes her further away from Shinobu, not seeming in any particular hurry... and with her mood much improved, humming a happy tune to herself. She couldn't exactly claim to have expected this outcome herself, but who would complain about it?

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
<poem>"Yeah, I remember him. I'll take your word for that. We didn't exactly get off on the right foot." Shinobu replies with a shrug. That was purely her own fault by design, though. She called him ''four-eyes'', of all things. Who even does that anymore??

Niko says it's been fun - and Shinobu has enough sense to not second guess that, because that's not an argument anyone will win.

"Sure." Shinobu decides. "...Yeah. Take care out there."

She turns to leave the other way - she needs to get her bike again, anyway. She certainly isn't going to ''complain'' that this didn't turn out worse than it did...

...even if she's definitely going to be sore in the morning.
</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 1]]

2025-10-17: Three Against One

2025-11-20T19:09:41Z

Fureasei:

*'''Log: Three Against One'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Jun Kashihara]], [[Takaya Sakaki]], [[Jin Shirato]], [[Niko Kirisaki]]
*'''Where:''' Hirasaka - Main
*'''OOC Date:''' October 17, 2025
*'''IC Date:''' July 27, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Intrigued by the Joker Killer's interest in Jun Kashihara, Strega harasses him for answers - if nothing else, for an ace up their sleeve should one prove necessary. In the end, the only one who gets anything they wanted out of this is Niko.''

----

(|============================= Hirasaka - Main ==============================|)
-=============================================== Sumaru City/Hirasaka Ward ====-
The westernmost ward of the city, and also the one furthest inland, Hirasaka is
considered one of the least desirable places to live in Sumaru. This is in part
due to the bad reputation of local Kasugayama High School, nicknamed "Kasu High"
by its students and "Cuss High" by its detractors. A school of overwhelmingly
boys but some errant girls, it's said to be for delinquents, poors, and other
"problem" children. Just down the street is Sumaru Prison, which is not a prison
but an underground club with a live stage, and either way the parents of Sevens
students hate it.

It's not all bad in Hirasaka, though. The shopping is second to none, with a
huge five-story mall called Smile Hirasaka that offers a wide variety of
businesses and conference meeting rooms; just be sure to go on a day when the
stores aren't closed. For those who want a more homey atmosphere for their
purchases, there's Kameya Alley. Plenty of office buildings populate the area,
too.

<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
<poem>
The last of the day's school bells chime out in Hirasaka Ward, signaling not only that the day's exams are over but that Kasugayama's students are finally free for the day. There's one more day of exams left--a half-day, really--and then finals are done.

For some, this is a coming bliss, especially with summer vacation right after. For Jun Kashihara, it's no big deal, really. He studies on the regular every day, so the tests have been easy, and he has no particular plans for this coming summer. It might be a little sad, what with it being his last summer as a high schooler, but he'll have college after he graduates, so it's not like he'll miss out on future summer vacations.

Things have been so strange lately, anyway. Jun honestly doesn't mind a quiet vacation, where he can support his friends who are involved in more... sordid matters... from afar. He accepts--or rather, is resigned to--the fact that he can't emotionally handle whatever is going on with this city around the Joker Killer. It's... best to stay out of the way. As humiliating as it is, it would be even more humiliating to become a victim who needs to be saved.

So, when Jun leaves Kasugayama for the day with his peers, clad in the summer uniform with a yellow lily in his breast pocket, he bids the other students a friendly farewell and turns the corner from the school gates towards Kameya Alley. His mother's going to cook a big dinner tomorrow for him and his father to celebrate the end of finals, and she encouraged him to make whatever requests and buy whatever groceries he wants for that. This is the perfect time to browse the local markets and make up his mind on what he wants. A chocolate dessert would be lovely--maybe a rich sachertorte... but dinner itself will require more thought.

Something he ''isn't'' thinking about: the man with the pale mane of hair he met the other day on the way to Seven Sisters High School, to whom he gave a lilac to encourage him about his long-lost friend. Jun certainly doesn't think ''he'' is that man's friend, however odd the many coincidences surrounding the both of them are. And he certainly wouldn't expect that this might get back to any of those man's other associates, who might well get curious enough to finally track him down and see him for themselves...

This young man with the face of a goddess, with whom the "Old Maid" is so obsessed.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Takaya Sakaki has posed.
<poem>When Jun comes into Kameya alley, there is a blonde mix raced man slouching in the middle of the path. The man, shirtless with arms covered in sleeve tattoos, smirks as he catches sight of Jun, straightening out as he stands up straight with his arms out in a christ-like fashion.

Takaya tilts his head unnaturally as he continues to smile at the Kasugayama student. "I knew if we waited, we'd eventually run into you...It must be a fated meeting. A canon event..."

Takaya looks dangerous as he starts to take a small step forward toward Jun. For the moment, his fire arm is out of sight. Probably why someone didn't call the Police on the weird adult man. "Jin...what was the boy's name again? The one Sudou is obsessed with...He must be him." Takaya keeps his arms out, as if dealing with a vicious animal...Quite Ironic considering the person doing it.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Jin Shirato has posed.
<poem>
"Jun Kashihara," Jin supplies, irritated. He didn't know what he was expecting, but it wasn't a teenage pretty boy. _This_ was what Sudou was so obsessed with? It felt like a waste just to come out here.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
In case Jun entertains the very sensible response of retreating, he will distressingly find that the way back is now blocked by someone who followed him in. A pink-haired girl in punk clothing, all of it black, and all of it shorter than typical, is barring that direction, grinning from ear to ear. The amount of muscle on her makes it clear at a glance - forcing one's way past would likely prove challenging at best. Boxed in by a bunch of street thugs... what could Jun possibly have done to attract that kind of attention?

Niko is friendly though, just look at that cheerful wave given as soon as a look is given in her direction. "So you're the guy Ojisan keeps talking about! I see, I see!"

Then her face scrunches up as she studies him. "Huuuh... nope, actually I don't see. You sure we got the right guy? He don't look like anything special to me." She starts to take a few steps towards him, her eyes briefly glancing over to the yellow lily. "Hmmm... what could you be hiding, I wonder, I wonder...?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
<poem>
There are lots of strange people in Hirasaka, so Jun is prepared to pay Tatsuya and Jin no mind past a passing glance. It's rude to stare, and Jun is aware that by some people's metrics, he'd be equally worthy of gawking at, which he knows ''he'' would find annoying. However, the bare-chested man with the tattoos spreads his arms and walks directly into Jun's path, and so he has no choice but to stare--especially when the annoyed one in glasses names him, and a pink-haired girl closes off any hope of retreat.

Jun recognizes a cornering when he sees one. He's been jumped by bullies before. These three have a significantly different air from the typical homophobes, though. Jun shoots a glance forward and back, one eye shaded by his bangs, stance and expression guarded. "...."

A fated meeting. A canon event. It's strange how, to Jun, these words make perfect sense. But... 'Sudou'? Surely they don't mean Sutoh-san... Theirs was only a chance meeting. But there were a lot of coincidences and very similar names... The muscular woman suggests that maybe this is a mistake, and though Jin named him quite clearly, there is a possibility here.

"Is it possible you're mixing me up with someone named Jun Kurosu?" Jun says politely, keeping a calm and unflappable demeanor--not because he doesn't fear anything from these threatening three, but because not showing fear is the best way to avoid getting hurt. "As you've already observed, I'm no one special, but that's a name I've heard recently that could've been confused with my own."

Could he be hiding something? Well... not that he can recall.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Takaya Sakaki has posed.
<poem>Takaya smiles and snaps his fingers. "Yes, Kashihara-kun. That was it." The blonde man tilts his head more when looking back to Jun. "Don't worry, Kashihara-kun...This is just a parle and we don't be dispensing any vengeance today." He can almost feel any annoyance from the others as he takes another step toward Jun. "But please don't be mistaken, we -are- very dangerous people who have an interest in you. So lets be friends who tell each other the truth, alright?" Takaya smiles in a worldly fashion as he leans toward Jun.

Takaya raises a brow when 'Jun' mentions another Jun. The messiah figure looks to Jin questioningly before chuckling. "No, I'm afraid this is a little more than misunderstanding..." He attempts to place a hand on Jun's shoulder. "Fate has brought us together so we might as well stay on this destined ride a little longer, eh Kashihara-kun?" Takaya's face grows very serious as he attempts to meet eyes with Jun. "Why is the Joker-killer interested in you?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Jin Shirato has posed.
<poem>
Jin shifts his weight from one leg to the other. "You really think we'd be stupid enough to get our intel wrong?" he snips when Takaya finally says his piece. He probably should bite his tongue, but since when has Jin ever done that? No sense in changing that now.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
"Mm-mm," Niko agrees with a headbob, "Don't worry, don't worry, I'm not gonna harm a hair on your pretty little head." Which, assuming one can take her word for it, might alleviate some concerns about her continuing to get close to Jun. She can't help herself from invading people's personal space when given half the chance.

Which makes two of them, with Takaya doing the same. At least Niko refrains from outright touching Jun, she defers to Takaya on that, as she does in all other ways. "Right, right, we should be friends~! It's good to be friends, isn't it?"

She's the only one who seems to entertain the possibility of this being the wrong Jun, if her pensive look is any indication. "Ehhh? You're saying there's someone who looks like you, with the same first name but a different last name?" One might expect her to express disbelief at that, but instead, she laughs. Why? Isn't it obvious? "That's so funny!" She thinks so, anyway. "Isn't that funny, Jin-chan?" Couldn't leave him out of it, could she?

She leaves asking the question that really matters to Takaya, though she does annoyingly echo, "Why? Why~?" Clearly, Niko is the type who has fun just by being there.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
<poem>
''Parle'', French for talk? Is this person half-French? More importantly, what does he mean by 'vengeance'? Jun watches Takaya with coolly polite wariness as he approaches. He does not doubt him when he says he's dangerous. He doesn't respond to Jin directly when he gets snippy about intel wrong; after all, Jun has no idea who they are or what they want with him, and one of their own just made that suggestion herself.

At least Jin isn't crowding Jun. Jun keeps his back straight and his head high, but Niko's crowding close to his back, lilting about being friends in echo after Takaya. Jun glances again over his shoulder at her as she laughs at his suggestion--and in that moment, Takaya places a hand on his shoulder. He tenses, hands clenching, as he shoots a glare at Takaya--but when their eyes meet, the pale man drops a bomb.

One can all but ''hear'' Jun uttering a pair of exclamation marks; one can certainly see the blood drain from his pretty face.

'Let's be friends who tell each other the truth.' Jun will certainly keep that in mind, and it shows as he glares at the three of them, sweat beading down the side of his face. One false word and things will go very badly for him: Jun gets that message loud and clear.

"I... don't know," he says stiffly, thinking back to what Akechi told him about a 'prophetic' poem about what happened that day Kasugayama High was attacked. (It was actually written after the fact, but Akechi made sure not to mention that part.) "It seems to me it would be easier for you to ask him yourselves. After all," and here he makes an educated guess, "you three are part of the 'gang' that attacked Kasugayama High School with him, yes? Along with the girl in white?"

His memories of that day are muddled, but he remembers ''her'' more than well enough. There's no way he could forget the moment she--Chidori--hurled an axe in a boy's stomach and nearly killed him on the spot. (So why can't he remember the rest of what happened then...?)
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Takaya Sakaki has posed.
<poem>Takaya smiles when Jin gets defensive of their work. It was good to have loyal members to the cause. He is further amused by Niko's games with this probably clueless high school student. Right, there was a possibility that Jun didn't know his significance. That he could be just as clueless to his place in this unfortunate game.

"That really is funny." Takaya says with no warmth despite the smile on his face. "I imagine two boys destined to your fate but only one of you is rightfully so. That is a cruel joke you've set yourself up with."

Takaya mostly ignores Jun's discoloration and reactions to Takaya's closeness. He is making note of it internally as he watches Jun make some educated guesses on their identities. "Very good guess. Yes, we were dealing with another student that day...Very well and how can we be sure that we will get more information from him than by asking you? Give us a reason to trust you are just as in the dark." Takaya smiles darkly as he sideward glances to Jin. "Jin is a little bit of a ...stickler for information. He gets very upset if you give us bad information. It just creates a hassle for us...and your family. Do you think this information you're giving us is good, Kashihara-kun?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Jin Shirato has posed.
<poem>
"Yeah, yeah," Jin says in response to Niko; he knows it's easier to humor her than it is to ignore her. She just gets more obnoxious the more you try to. And frankly, if it were anyone else, he'd think that were impossible.

But this was Niko they were talking about.

"I thought you were supposed to be smart," Jin snips. "Ranked number one in your class, but you mistake us for common thugs." Clearly Jin has done his research. "Guess it's not your brains he's after." Jin would be insulted if Sudou was headhunting someone for their smarts when he was right here, ready and waiting.

"Takaya's right, though. You really should give us the answers we're looking for. We wouldn't want to make any trouble for your classmates. Especially since you seem to know exactly what we're capable of."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
"He doesn't know, he doesn't know~" Niko sing-songs when Jun responds to the question, which may sound mocking but she's really just having fun, in her own way. She's all about the lightening the mood, and this might be a moment that needs it. Takaya doesn't appreciate it when he doesn't get the answers he wants, after all.

Weren't they with the Joker Killer at Kasugayama though? Niko readily cops to that. "Oh yeah, I was totally there! Had to keep people from getting in the way 'n' all, y'know how it is." Does he?? "Jin blew up a guy's motorcycle, that was awesome." Look just don't argue with her, Jin knows what's up, there's no point in trying.

While Takaya is increasing the tension, she decreases it on her end just as much, taking a casual stance with her arms behind her head. "Ojisan says what Ojisan wants to say, in the way Ojisan wants to say it," she clarifies, thinking this is a very good explanation actually. "We wanna hear the way ''you'd'' say it. That's all!" Bit of a discord between her cheerfulness levels and the attitude of her fellows, but she's still ultimately asking the same thing.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
<poem>
Jun wasn't even trying to throw these three a line--Sutoh had told him about a Jun Kurosu that he'd been friends with in high school. Jun has no idea what he would look like--surely he wouldn't have his same face--but it sounds like these three are assuming he's trying to tell them a line. Sutoh and that 'Sudou' that was mentioned must be different after all... Just another series of coincidences in the relentless deja vu Jun's been experiencing lately.

Niko sing-songs more, and to Jun, it does indeed sound like she's mocking him. Jin gets even snippier, insulting his intelligence after he calls them a 'gang.' Jun doesn't bother to explain that his use of the word was ironic, based on how the attack was reported in the news. He does not get the sense that any of these people are interested in his excuses, and he knows better than to rise to others' bait anyway. Let this 'Jin' think he's stupid. That might help Jun later.

He shoots Niko another glance when she mentions 'Jin' having blown up someone's motorcycle. So that was how Tatsuya got those wounds... That, even more than Takaya's casual confirmation, convinces Jun that these people are exactly who they say they are.

So it's strange to him. If these people are indeed the Joker Killer's allies, as the pale one confirms, they're trying to ask ''him'' about this rather than the Joker Killer himself. If they were approaching him on the Joker's behalf, that would make a grim amount of sense. The Sevens emblem still rests in his uniform pants pocket. It might protect against the Joker Killer, but no one's ever said anything about it protecting against his allies. Ironically, Niko says something that makes sense here: they want to hear it from Jun directly, in his own words. He supposes he can't fault them for that.

What he ''can'' fault is the implied threat against his family and classmates. That's met with a scorching glare, teeth bared in a grimace that contrasts his fair face. It's the kind that people mean when they say 'if looks could kill'--it sears Takaya and Jin with controlled fury, as if he might burn them both alive.

But he wouldn't. Jun is a kind, gentle boy who prefers not to fight. More to the point, on ''this'' side, he's never killed anyone. He simply does not have that killer instinct the three of them have. ...however, that glimpse might give them an idea of his potential.

"I sincerely don't know why he's interested in me. I don't have many clear memories of the night you all attacked my school. Head trauma," Jun says icily. 'Head trauma' is ''more or less'' the truth. "I understand there's supposedly some kind of prophetic poem he wrote or that he took inspiration from that might mention me, but I've gone out of my way to know as little as possible about it. Whatever he wants from me, I want no part of it and have no intention of cooperating with him."

The street is narrow. Takaya and Niko block Jun in from both directions, and Jin is to one side. Still, it's not impossible to make an escape. If Jun can distract the pale one with a flower and use it to take the hand on his shoulder and do a martial arts throw, he could collide him with the woman. That will leave only Jin, and while Jun is no athlete, Jin doesn't look like one either. Jun can then run into Kameya Alley where it's sure to be more crowded and call for help...

But it would be a big risk. It assumes that Jun can successfully distract and disarm, that Jin won't catch up to him, that they don't have anyone else waiting in the wings. More than anything, he'll have only one chance to pull it up. Jun will wait a little longer for a proper opening--knowing that they might not give him one.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Takaya Sakaki has posed.
<poem>Takaya shuts his eyes when things start to happen. He is good at letting his subordinates have their own agendas and agency. For a moment, the messiah figure does nothing. He just listens to Jun try to get out of this dangerous situation Jun finds himself in.

Finally Takaya opens and eye and grins, catching sight of that look on his face. So the boy has some fire after all.

"A poem? Interesting...Tell us more about the poem. Surely you have a title or something to tell you what to avoid." Takaya considers what this poem could be. Could it be a weakness of the Joker Killer? While he didn't necessarily want Sudou's weakness, it was always handy to have in these sorts of arrangements.

"The more you tell us now...the less likely you'll see us again." Takaya offers the boy some hope at the end of the rainbow.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Jin Shirato has posed.
<poem>
Jin wants to ask 'Why bother?' but this time, he manages to bite his tongue before the words slip out. Jin doesn't even know why, but he finds this guy _especially_ grating. Whatever they need, he can try to find it online. _Away_ from the people and sunshine. Jin doesn't particularly like either.

Instead he folds his arms over his chest and shifts his weight from one leg to the other again.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
It certainly doesn't appear as if Niko would be ready for any sort of escape attempt on Jun's part. That casual pose makes it seem as if she might not even care. Of course, it's exceptionally dangerous to go by appearances. She's proven that much already, given that she looks like she would be a thug, but doesn't act like one at all. If anything, she's been playing the role of Good Cop here. But that could indeed just be a role.

Whatever the case may be, what little Jun can tell them does draw her immediate attention. "What? Ojisan writes poetry?! He never told me he writes poetry! Oh, I gotta hear this. Gotta ask him about that too, this should be good."

There are no hidden agendas here. Niko just likes poetry. Of course she does, doesn't she look like a poet? Don't answer that.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
<poem>
Fair's fair: Jun doesn't find Jin especially endearing either. Something about being cornered in a street and having his loved ones threatened puts him in a bad mood. Niko might be the 'good cop' of the group right now, but considering how she laughed about Jin blowing up a motorcycle, she can't be underestimated either--and that's before taking her muscles into account.

"It's only something I was told about. I didn't read it for myself, only had a verse read to me," Jun replies, as much to her as to Takaya. "I got the impression that it was information confidential to law enforcement, so I hope your sources for intel includes the police."

He ''certainly'' doesn't hope that, but he ''does'' hope that it provides a wall to these three finding out... whatever the hell they want to find out. Jun has no intention of dropping Goro Akechi's name to these three--it's not a lot better to point them at the police, but at least they're an organization rather than an individual who'll be much harder pressed to defend himself against friends of a serial killer.

Either way, if he gets out of this situation in one piece, he'll need to reach out and warn them...

"Since we're being so friendly," he adds with that in mind, "might I ask you three to introduce yourselves? You know my name, but I don't know any of yours." Aside from 'Jin,' but Jun leaves that unsaid. He doesn't know if they'll play along, but it might be worth asking.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Takaya Sakaki has posed.
<poem>Takaya looks over to Jin when the cops are mentioned. While Takaya is sure that Jin could find his way into the police information network, the cult leader can only guess the computer genius' limits.

"Thank you for your concern but we'll be sure to find this poem--if it exists." Takaya grins, patting the boy on his shoulder again. "Are you sure thats all you can tell us? We really do want to understand your place in all this, Kashihara-kun. The more you tell us, the quicker this will go."

"My name? Amusing but pointless. Our names are the names of the forgotten. The ones at Death's door. We are the chorus, the ones who will watch the world's last desperate scream...But you may refer to me as Takaya....I'll let her introduce herself." He gestures to Niko.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Jin Shirato has posed.
<poem>
"Jin," Jin says simply, though it was obvious from Niko's crowing earlier what his name was. If he's expecting anything more than that, Jun isn't getting it.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Niko lets out a sigh. She's gotten tired of this interrogation and its lack of results, it's just getting boring now. She may not be the best at spotting lies, but Jun is supposedly smart, so surely he would've realized lying wouldn't be a very good idea here. Which means, as she eloquently puts it, "Maaan, this is pointless, this guy doesn't know shit."

She wouldn't outright bail before Takaya is satisfied, but at least it's clear what camp she's in. It's the 'not entertaining enough, let's do something more fun' camp.

Jun asks for an introduction then, which seems to perk up Niko again, especially when Takaya prompts her. She does love to talk, so it's pretty easy to get her to. "Nice to meet you, I'm Niko! You can call me Niko-chan, everyone does~" Everyone does not. In fact this is a blatant lie, most people do not. Not for lack of trying on her part.

And, since she was given the perfect opening, she takes the opportunity to add, "And together we aaaaare... Streeeegaaaa~"

She says it exactly like the 'Sega' jingle. And you thought Jin was the biggest nerd here.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
<poem>
Takaya, Jin, and Niko... Well, it's better than Jun had feared, especially after Takaya went on about how names are 'amusing but pointless.' He does note that look Takaya gives Jin--it is a ''look'', but it doesn't seem particularly worried. So they don't have a contact already, but they aren't too concerned about being able to get that information... Jun doesn't know what that signifies.

His stare remains flat and unwelcoming, particularly when Takaya pats his shoulder again. He does not like being touched by him, but Jun understands that's part of the point. Again: he's been bullied before. For all that ''these'' three are certainly several levels above the type Jun usually deals with, he knows how it works.

"It does exist. I promise you that," Jun says evenly. It just isn't the poem that Strega might end up finding in connection with Sudou--but Jun, in all fairness, doesn't know that. He's working off incomplete and incorrect information, too. As Niko so eloquently points out-- "Quite," he says curtly.

And together, they're called... Strega. (Niko's sing-songing notwithstanding. Jun is not a gamer, so the reference goes over his head; he assumes she's just trying to be cute and/or annoying.) Italian for 'witch.' Jun doesn't know what, if anything, that signifies, and he does not try to ask.

"Well then, Takaya-san, Jin-san, Niko-san," oof, a pretty blatant snub at the end there, "may I go now? As I said before, whatever the Joker Killer wants from me, I want nothing to do with it. If you find out on your own, I sincerely hope you fail to inform me."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Jin Shirato has posed.
<poem>
Jin turns and _looks_ at Niko, exasperated. If they didn't look stupid before, they definitely do now.

"You think we're on some kinda sentai show or somethin'? We're not Team Featherman."

Not that Jin would know anything about that.
Not that he has every series pirated on his computer.
Not that he hacked the local network to snag the newest episode early, either.

Not. At. All.

"Screw this. I'm going back. This guy isn't worth our time." If the sun and the people weren't enough to be pissed off about, knowing a wimpy pretty boy like this one was the subject of Sudou's fascination was even _more_ irritating.

Jin turns to make his exit, briefly looking over his shoulder at Strega's tiniest (but strongest!) member. "C'mon, Niko-_chan_. Let's go." Yes, he used _chan_ purposefully. Because Jun purposefully _didn't_.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Takaya Sakaki has posed.
<poem>Takaya listens to Jun, nodding his head softly. "Very well. Have a good night, Kashihara-kun. We will be on our way after one final bit of information."

The wirey man moves back to stand beside Jin, turning to look at Jun. "This has been us at our best behavior, no? We have not harmed you in the slightest. Please take note of that...because if we find out that you weren't open with us. If you lied. If you thought you could fool poor Jin here...well, We wouldn't be friends next time." Takaya gets a spooky look on his face, staring with haunted eyes.

"We would be enemies...And while I can find some blood in my cold dead heart for a misguided friend...Jin, I'm sorry to say, from my thorough understanding of him, is less likely to oblige."

Takaya smiles when Jin loses it and merely gestures to the retreating form. "And with that, Ta, ta, Kashihara-kun."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
<poem>
Niko just, entirely deflates when her reference falls flat AND she gets a -san yet again, letting out a 'guhaaaa' as she sags forward. "So cruel..." Clearly that was all that still mattered to her in this interaction. Poem? What poem, she's already over that.

She just makes a whining noise in response to Jin's beratement of what she thought was a cool, if belated, intro. She's already been defeated, no need to kick her when she's down.

...is what would be the case, if Jin didn't turn around and actually called her Niko-chan. She immediately straightens up, like a dog who just noticed a squirrel. She can't manage any sort of additional comeback, or comment for the situation at hand. None of that matters right now, because ''Jin'' called her ''Niko-chan''.

There is nothing but simple joy in her eventual response, consisting of merely, "Yes!" before she skips more than walks after him. Today turned out to be a good day, after all.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
<poem>
How ironic. Jun appears to have gotten out of this situation by being insufficiently interesting. He watches Jin lose his patience and start to storm off with Niko-'chan'--but before he can hope that this might be the end of it, Takaya points out that this was their best behavior and makes no guarantees next time will go so nicely if it turns out he hasn't been totally open with them.

"..." Jun only eyes him. He ''has'' been honest to the extent that he's been able--there really was a poem that seemed to hint about the future, he really doesn't know what the Joker Killer wants with him, he really does not want to get involved--but there's no knowing if these three will decide to come for him again anyway for whatever reason.

Once the three are gone, Jun continues on his way to Kameya Alley. Rather than any of the grocery stores, he heads to Izakaya Shiraishi where Ma'am and her bodyguard are. There, he takes a seat at one of the tables, where he clutches a napkin to his mouth until he eventually stops hyperventilating.
</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 1]]

2025-10-17: Three Against One

2025-11-20T19:09:07Z

Fureasei: Created page with "*'''Log: Three Against One''' *'''Cast:''' Jun Kashihara, Takaya Sakaki, Jin Shirato, Niko Kirisaki *'''Where:''' Hirasaka - Main *'''OOC Date:''' October 17, 2025 *'''IC Date:''' July 27, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''Intrigued by the Joker Killer's interest in Jun Kashihara, Strega harasses him for answers - if nothing else, for an ace up their sleeve should one prove necessary. In the end, the only one who gets anything they wanted out of this is Niko.'' ---..."

2025-11-10: A Bow Long Bent Grows Weak

2025-11-19T19:24:28Z

Fureasei: Created page with "*'''Log: A Bow Long Bent Grows Weak''' *'''Cast:''' Hyousuke Suzuki, Julian Marlowe *'''Where:''' Hirasaka - Kameya Alley, Izakaya Shiraishi *'''OOC Date:''' November 10, 2025 *'''IC Date:''' August 08, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''Hyousuke happens to visit the Izakaya Shiraishi when Julian is there, prompting a spontaneous conversation. Though Julian's Counselor Sense is going off just from observing him, he doesn't pry too much into what's obviously troubling Hyousuk..."

*'''Log: A Bow Long Bent Grows Weak'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Hyousuke Suzuki]], [[Julian Marlowe]]
*'''Where:''' Hirasaka - Kameya Alley, Izakaya Shiraishi
*'''OOC Date:''' November 10, 2025
*'''IC Date:''' August 08, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Hyousuke happens to visit the Izakaya Shiraishi when Julian is there, prompting a spontaneous conversation. Though Julian's Counselor Sense is going off just from observing him, he doesn't pry too much into what's obviously troubling Hyousuke, allowing for those matters to be deflected for the time being. Building trust is, as ever, an important first step.''

----

<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>Hyousuke poked at the ramen idly. It wasn't as if he didn't care for it - odd as banana ramen might have sounded to some, he'd found a certain fondness for the foodstuff. It wasn't as if the atmosphere was putting him off - the izakaya was in much the same state as it ever was, with everyone from wayward students to tipsy salarymen chatting away at their respective seats. It wasn't even the fact that he was there alone, if the fact that he'd made a conscious decision to walk there and pay for a meal was any indication. No, it seemed to be something else entirely.

Though he looked in the general direction of the bowl, his gaze was an empty one, while his mind seemed to be elsewhere. He didn't look at the bowl - rather, he looked through it, barely seeming to register its presence as he lost himself in thought. Quite what he was thinking of was unclear, but the look he bore was a pensive one, and might have gone some way to illuminating his sate of mind, if nothing else. It was a far cry from the usual sunny disposition he showed, and a stark departure from the passion or battle-rage he so frequently displayed at other times.

A particularly loud clink caught his attention, and shook Hyousuke out of whatever reverie he'd been trapped in. It turned out to be someone stumbling while carrying a couple of pieces of porcelain - nothing worth paying attention to. They hadn't even dropped anything. However, before his gaze could drift back down, it caught on someone familiar. It could have been nothing, of course. A trick of the light, his own imagination, or mere coincidence. But he couldn't shake the feeling that the stranger he saw was someone he recognised.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
Julian Marlowe has in fact been here at Izakaya Shiraishi for a while now, seated in a far corner booth, by himself. Well, him and the laptop that partially obscures him. It's not too common to find him here, given that while he may be employed at Kasugayama, he lives outside of Sumaru and generally catches a Shibuya-bound train before having dinner.

Now that it's vacation time however, it seems that he's chosen to hang out here today for one of his favored activities: people watching, while simultaneously engaging in some semi-idly research. He's certainly chosen the best spot for it, with a good view of the entrance and many of the seats.

Judging from the cleaned plate (he had the Yakitori) and the near-empty glass of beer that sit beside him, he's been here for a while now. And he's quite obviously been watching Hyousuke, given that when his direction is looked into, the Englishman casually raises a hand in greeting. He's still wearing a business suit as well as that monocle he's always going around with, looks like whether or not he's working makes no difference in that regard.

Smiling calmly as usual, he'll let Hyousuke decide whether or not to approach him, only closing his laptop in a show of being open to it, should he so wish. He's been watching for long enough to have somewhat of an inkling that his student might have a thing or two on his mind. This may be off time and away from school grounds, but that never means that he isn't available to be a listening ear, when one is needed.

</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>The stranger's identity didn't quite click for Hyousuke until his eye caught on the monocle. A look of realisation crossed his features at that point - realistically speaking, there was really only going to be one person that both recognised him, and wore such an uncommon accessory. In a heartbeat, he wiped whatever remained of his pensive look away, replacing it with a a broad grin. The smile didn't quite reach his eyes, but he hoped that at that distance, such a detail would not be detected - and that he could fake it well enough that Marlowe-sensei wouldn't figure it out when he eventually did draw near.

He could very well have stayed away and allowed the moment to pass. It would have been easy to simply show that he recognised the school's guidance counsellor while politely - if silently - declining the invitation to sit together. However, compelled by what few tenets of etiquette he actually bothered following, Hyousuke found himself ambling over with a still-warm bowl of ramen in his hands, still wearing a smile that he hoped was more convincing than it felt. To any casual observer, it might very well have been - his was a practised mask, worn for longer than he cared to remember, to the point where he could don it reflexively. Whether Marlowe was amongst them remained to be seen.

"Marlowe-sensei!" Hyousuke said, a slight twinge of surprise to his voice. That, at least, was genuine - he didn't seem to have expected a familiar face there. "Didn't know this was your kinda spot too. You been here a while?" His eyes had caught on the laptop and half-emptied glass, leading him to cant his head a little like a curious dog. What this also did - rather unintentionally - was cause a mark on his neck to show. It was only the edge of it, and it disappeared back under the collar of his shirt once his head tilted back into a straightened position, but the bruise had been a stark contrast against his otherwise unblemished skin.

The rest of him did not seem to be in much better a state. Though the Harrington-style jacket hid the majority of the bruises on his arms, some still crept out past the cuff, leaving dark patches scattered all the way up to his hands. Further down, his knuckles bore fresh scabs, left after the skin on them had split open and been left to heal. Then there was his eyes. Though he tried to keep them alert, the dark bags beneath them spoke of sleep deprivation, and no small amount of it either.

"Guess teachers don't get breaks like we do." He said offhandedly, either oblivious to the state he'd arrived in, or simply choosing to ignore it.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
Julian does have a way of standing out. Monocle aside, there's no hiding that he's a westerner. Not that he tries. On the contrary, he tries to appear like he's an open book. In his experience, it helps when people feel that what they see is what they get - and that they are viewed the same way. Even if Julian has absolutely noticed Hyousuke's earlier mood and feels that one is closer to the truth, he's not about to directly point that out. He considers direct confrontation to be rarely constructive in his line of work.

...Not that he's working right now, nor does he assume that Hyousuke approached him for his capacity as a counselor. That doesn't mean he's not in counselor mode. He is ''always'' in counselor mode. At least, he is when he feels that he's speaking to someone who could use it.

Pulling his laptop back and resting his hands on it, he indicates the seat across from him as an invitation to sit, smile never wavering. "<Mister> Suzuki, what a coincidence to see you here as well!" He lets out a soft chuckle. "I wouldn't say this is 'my kinda spot' so much, I like to... vary my hangouts, as it were. It just so happens this was my choice for taking a little break today."

Up close, it's even more obvious that Hyousuke has - to phrase it in a way Julian never would - been through some shit. Still, his non-confrontational policy remains in effect. He'll see what Hyousuke chooses to share, during the course of the conversation.

"I will admit to perhaps having underestimated the level of exam crunch on the teacher's side, but today is purely pleasure rather than business, I assure you. It would feel rather superfluous for me to go too far afield - I'm still rather new to the country, I prefer to take some extra time to familiarize myself with my direct surroundings."

'Rather new', he says, yet speaking flawless Japanese with only a very mild accent - even if most would describe his phrasing of things as 'stuffy'. That's the case no matter which language he speaks. Perhaps that's normal for English teachers who come from actual England? (absolutely not)

"How about you?" he asks casually enough. "Any plans for the summer? I imagine you must look forward to some relaxation time, now that the stressful period is over."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>Hyousuke was silent for a moment, blinking without giving a response. His expression was a blank one, consisting of little more than glassy eyes and a polite smile. It was only in part because of his apparent exhaustion, and not at all due to Julian's accent. He was, in fact, taking time to process the stuffy speech being directed at him. He did his best to appear as though he was simply digesting the information and formulating a response that he was happy with, but Kasugayama was hardly a school known for housing intellectual powerhouses. It wouldn't have taken much to infer that the hamster wheel in Hyousuke's brain was squeaking away as fast as it could manage.

"Relaxing? Nah, I still got a bunch of studying to do." He said, waving his hand a little to dismiss the notion that relaxation, of all things, was in store for him. "Teach told me to read a book over the summer, I got a tutor so I don't fail my next tests, Mutou-sensei's been kicking my ass with training..." None of it was said with any real regret or disdain, despite the things he'd listed off. It was difficult to say for certain that he was looking forward to it, but to say he was bitter about it would have been a gross exaggeration.

"I'm gonna go see a friend at a concert though!" He said, perking up a little once he remembered that particular plan. It wasn't just due to remembering he'd get to see Ririka perform live, however. The fact that Julian had missed - or simply chosen not to address - the litany of injuries and signs of poor health that he displayed put him more at ease than he'd have felt with Kasugayama's other authority figures. Not to mention the casual setting. It was neutral ground, rather than school - a place he might have viewed as Julian's 'territory,' so to speak.

That was not to say he was entirely comfortable. Julian was still not someone he viewed as a peer, let alone someone trusted enough to talk of recent troubles to.
"What about you? You gonna explore the place more? There's a bunch of cool stuff around here if you look for it." He turned the conversation back to Julian, hoping to keep from revealing more about his plans or himself.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
Julian takes note of the fairly sluggish manner of processing, which probably wouldn't be a strange thing to draw attention to at this point. Yet he bides his time. He's certain he'll get a chance to weave this more organically into the dialogue - and indeed, it's not very long at all before he has the perfect opportunity.

There's nothing disingenuous about the surprise in his expression when he hears of all the studying on Hyousuke's horizon, of at least two different kinds, no less. "My my. Sounds as if you have a full plate indeed. I must say - with no disrespect to anyone intended - this is rather uncommon for Kasugayama students. As a teacher, far be it from me to discourage it, of course."

Faint smile never wavering, he takes a handkerchief out of his pocket and the monocle out of his eye, taking a moment to polish the glass. "However, as a counselor, I would be remiss not to caution against overworking yourself. As the saying goes, <a bow long bent grows weak>. It's a cautionary saying, warning that a bow that remains pulled taut for extended periods of time will break ere long." Now he's just being a counselor and a teacher at the same time. He shakes his head, replacing the kerchief and then the monocle where he removed them from. "Forgive me, I do not mean to lecture in your and my free time."

His smile grows slightly wider at hearing the concert plans. "That certainly sounds like just the thing to raise one's spirits. I do hope you'll have a good time." And what of himself? "I do plan on a number of outings here and there. For instance, I hear of an event set at a French restaurant in Kagurazaka this Friday, perhaps I'll swing by there if time permits. It may not be the exact taste of home, but it is rather close in proximity." Geographically, anyway. Of course there's significant differences in traditional cuisine, but it's not as if he's never tasted French cuisine before.

He folds his hands together. Though he may not probe directly, he will at least put an offer down on the table, figuratively speaking. "That being said... I am also keeping myself available for students to speak to in my capacity as counselor, should they require it. Only the students who come to me regularly for counseling sessions have been told of this directly, but... that does not mean that the offer is open just to them. Do feel free to avail of this yourself if you feel the need to, I assure you that anything you say to me will be kept in strict confidence."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>Hyousuke kept his expression still, but internally, he cursed at himself in as sharp a tone as possible. Of course things would be noticed - he'd hardly done a stellar job of hiding them. Even if he'd worn gloves and a scarf to hide whatever bruises still peeked past his clothes - the cuffs of which he unconsciously tugged down to try and hide his injuries - the bags under his eyes and the distant look on his face would have been dead giveaways of something being wrong. His mind ran a mile a minute, trying to figure out if he should deflect it, address it with a half-truth to satisfy incoming questions, or simply ignore the matter altogether.

His body language grew looser and noticeably more relaxed once the conversation turned back to Julian. It wasn't a particularly difficult change to notice. Ironically, his attempt at maintaining a relaxed and casual look had only made him seem a little more tense than usual, such was how much effort he'd poured into keeping his expression from changing. He nodded firmly, remaining quiet, but leaving little doubt that he was being attentive. The mention of a French restaurant piqued his interest in particular, causing him to sit up a little straighter and focus a little harder. Quite why, he was quiet on, but the thought yet lingered in his mind.

Then the conversation turned back to him. Perhaps not directly - it was only Julian offering his services as a counsellor, after all - but Hyousuke had no doubt that Julian had noticed something was wrong. His postured shifted a little, as if doing so would hide the worst of what he had sustained, and the lighting would mitigate how bad the rest looked, but he knew the damage had already been done. The best he could do was try to convince Julian it wasn't as bad as it looked, he thought.
"Thanks, but I don't wanna trouble you with that kinda stuff during the holidays." His tone was casual - almost flippant - in how easily he rejected the offer. "Most of my problems are school stuff, but I got a tutor that knows his stuff. I'll be fine."

He'd deflected - successfully, he hoped - so the next step was due. Redirection. Keep Julian from insisting, and keep the conversation focussed on anything but his own wellbeing.
"So, do you got any idea what that French place is like? I hear they do all kinds of fancy teas and coffees in there. Pastries too." Given his experience with French cuisine was limited to the few patisseries he'd visited, such an assumption was hardly a surprise to those that knew him.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
Half of Julian's job - the one which he favors - is all about perception. It's not up to him to correct what troubles his students, just to notice it - it will always ultimately be up to them whether to act upon a wish for things to change. All he can do, all he should do, is to advise when asked, and otherwise try to gently steer them to consider their situation more carefully. Even if he knows perfectly well what Hyousuke is doing, he won't deny him the right to handle it as he sees fit. He's just here to say - imply, rather - that if things are hard to handle and assistance is welcomed, that's what he's here for.

Having said his piece, he won't directly insist beyond that. Though he will respond in a manner that he hopes makes it clear that he's not the typical kind of uncaring Kasugayama teacher, that calm smile never wavering.

"I understand. That would be the polite thing to say, and I appreciate that. Though you should realize... I would not have applied to this school in particular if I stood on ceremony where it comes to those I speak to. So feel free to trouble me whenever you wish, test my patience as you like. I believe you'll find it rather a challenge to get me to perceive whatever you may say or do as a personal affront."

This isn't a bluff, or an exaggeration. Students have ignored him, mocked him, stolen from him, and yet... not a single Kasugayama student has ever seen Julian Marlowe lose his temper. Not even once.

Whether or not his chosen phrasing will be helpful or not remains to be seen, but either way, he isn't about to press further, chuckling amicably at the overt topic focus. "It sounds as if you're more familiar with the restaurant than I am. Need I remind you, I have only lived here for about half a year. Tokyo is a big place, and I am only one man, who needs to work for a living." And lead a double life as a supernatural investigator, but nobody needs to know about that.

He's fine to keep the conversation to more casual things from here on out, and see how things develop in the future. He wouldn't expect anybody to speak frankly to someone they don't know very well yet, but hopefully he's managed to lay the groundwork for such in the future. Besides... knowing of Hyousuke's ties to Ichika, he's fairly certain he can count on at least one of his peers to vouch for him, should this encounter have been of enough interest to ask.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
<poem>Hyousuke offered a smile in response to Julian's assurances, though it was dangerously close to a mocking smirk. At the end of the day, Julian was just another member of staff at Kasugayama. He was just another authority figure that could only be trusted with the most innocuous of information. He was a professional, first and foremost, that reported to a higher power, and could easily twist Hyousuke's words against him if the need arose. But, at the very least, he didn't seem like an unpleasant person. Not the kind he usually hung around, but then again, stranger things had happened in the past few months alone.

"Familiar?" He eventually responds, before laughing a little and shaking his head. It was a hollow chuckle, used more as an indicator of tone, than a show of actual amusement. "Nah, I've just been to a few pat-" He paused, quickly realising that he didn't actually know how the word as pronounce. He barely spoke Japanese, why did he bother with French? "A few French cafes and bakeries..They always do some good stuff, but it's a bit pricey." Finally, he'd started being honest about himself. The information wasn't much, but it was something. He paused for a moment, considering what other information he thought would be harmless to volunteer. Upon remembering that Julian likely had access to a file containing a great many details about his life, he spoke of something he was certain was on there, and thus saw little point in hiding. "Y'know, I haven't actually been here long either..."
</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 1]]

2025-10-02: A Reminder That We're Not Alone

2025-11-19T19:22:20Z

Fureasei: Created page with "*'''Log: A Reminder That We're Not Alone''' *'''Cast:''' Julian Marlowe, Ichika Kawase *'''Where:''' Aoba - Main *'''OOC Date:''' October 02, 2025 *'''IC Date:''' July 20, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''Following the attempt on Tsubasa Seki's life, two individuals do a bit of investigating, in their own ways. Ichika happens to run into a Julian in a more casual setting, finding out about one of his lesser known interests in the process. They discuss matters such as the J..."

*'''Log: A Reminder That We're Not Alone'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Julian Marlowe]], [[Ichika Kawase]]
*'''Where:''' Aoba - Main
*'''OOC Date:''' October 02, 2025
*'''IC Date:''' July 20, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''Following the attempt on Tsubasa Seki's life, two individuals do a bit of investigating, in their own ways. Ichika happens to run into a Julian in a more casual setting, finding out about one of his lesser known interests in the process. They discuss matters such as the Joker Killer and the questionable loyalties of the local police.''

----

(|=============================== Aoba - Main ================================|)
-=================================================== Sumaru City/Aoba Ward ====-
To Sumaru's east is Aoba Ward, where fashion and commerce abound. The city's
fire department headquarters is based here too. Ample shopping can be found at
the stores that dot Aoba Way. Past it, Aoba Park is a popular place to walk
around and relax, especially since there's an outdoor concert hall located
deeper within where one might catch a live concert.

Various programs are filmed at Sumaru TV, where famous stars like veteran
actress Junko Kurosu, talk show host Hidehiko "Brown" Uesugi, and popular model
Eriko "Elly" Kirishima might be spotted. Along the way, one will pass Kismet
Publishing, where popular publications like hot teen magazine Coolest are made.

<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
It's been a mere three days since the art exhibition in Aoba Park was set on fire, and... Things happened there. Funny how nobody's talking about the extremely notable details of the incident, it's mostly just been about the fire. It's striking how most people wouldn't find a single thing odd about the way it's being reported. And yet, in recent times, Julian Marlowe finds himself doubting the retellings of events such as this as a matter of course. He couldn't exactly claim to feel used to it, though when your suspicions are proven warranted this often, seeing things others don't is getting easier to accept every day.

That's the reason why he's been passing by this area so often the past few days, keeping his eyes open for signs of unusual activity. Not that anyone would have reason to be very suspicious of that. Not with the way he's chosen to approach this.

By now it's late afternoon, school's out and people are on their way home, possibly home already. Soon it will be dinner time for most people. But outside, it's still a bright and pleasantly warm summer day. The sun's not too harsh, and there's a nice breeze out... perfect time for a stroll. Or something a bit more active.

Take that man in the white t-shirt and blue shorts wearing tennis shoes, for instance, who's decided this is the perfect time for a jog. He's been following this same route through Aoba around the same time for the last several days, passing by and partially through the park several times, calling it quits after a lap or five. Nothing out of the ordinary there.

Well. A little bit out of the ordinary, since the man is quite obviously a foreigner, but the activity is nothing unusual. That is... unless one happens to recognize that man as Julian Marlowe. Who, to the casual observer, wouldn't appear to be the most active-seeming individual, and is well-known for going around never wearing anything else than neat business suits. He's even traded his signature monocle for a sweat band around his head. Perhaps his private life might be a little different than most may have assumed.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Just a few days, but they feel like they've been full days. Yesterday, Ichika was picked up by the police in the parking lot at Kasugayama High School. They let her go... but still. Today, after parting ways to Jun and Umie, Ichika has spent the last bits of this late afternoon returning to the scene of the last crime: Aoba Park.

She's on the trail of evidence now, and so... there is a bit of suspicious activity! It's Ichika, a girl with long bleach-blonde hair, walking about the ruins of the art show with her phone out, looking for things to take pictures of. However...

She hasn't noticed Julian here ''before'', but she does notice him now. A blink, as she steps out to see him and--

That's not his usual attire at all!

"Sensei?" Ichika asks. She waves.

She's not in uniform; she's in a green miniskirt and a skull tanktop, with thigh-highs and knee-high boots, with bracelets and some jewelry. And her usual makeup, of course.

"You uh..."

"I didn't know you were into fitness."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
Julian hasn't seen as much happening here as he would have liked. Perhaps that stands to reason, if they're trying to hide something then nobody wants to do anything too overt here. He did get some glimpses of the damage though, which... well, he's no firefighter or anything, but there's no way he buys that all of that could be attributed to the natural spread of fire. In his mind, he's started to visualize positions where people might have been standing. If you go by the assumption that they would be able to project fire or cause impact damage, it's surprising how many things start to make sense.

He snaps out of visualization mode when something unexpected enters his actual vision. Is there someone skulking around there? Curious indeed. Maybe once he gets a little closer...

...He will actually recognize her?? Attire aside, Ichika isn't too difficult to pick out of a crowd. Because of the hair, if nothing else. He might have suspected something like this could happen, lingering in the city where he works for longer than typical, but still, this feels a little bit awkward.

Slowing his pace before coming to a stop, the surprise is plain on his face as he wipes the sweat off of it. Somehow, it doesn't feel right to do the whole English spiel he normally does in front of the students. "...Kawase-san, good... afternoon, I think it still is? Fancy meeting you here."

He didn't mean to imply anything by saying that, but now that he's said it, he can't help but wonder what he'll see in her reaction. Since, after all... he's already heard that she was there, that day. He may not be entirely sure of what happened then, but he knows what happened yesterday.

Still, he chuckles pleasantly at her observation, not particularly out of breath. "I am, indeed. Normally speaking I would be doing this closer to home, but... we all need a change of pace every now and again, do we not?" Even if he doesn't go into the actual reason, he really is no stranger to regular exercise. It wasn't as easy to notice below the suits he wears at school, but now it's plain to see that he takes solid care of his health.

"That aside..." He decides to skip past small talk and asking what she was doing just now, suspecting that may become clear from asking about what he has greater concerns about. "If I may ask, what did the police want with you? Coming to school grounds like that... I take it this was about a little more than typical gang activity."

He inclines his head in apology, no less sincere than any other time they've spoken of serious matters. "Do forgive me if I'm intruding where it's not wanted, I ask purely out of concern. If you would rather not discuss this, or do so at our next session, you are of course free to."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
<poem>
The damage adds up. Ichika was there for it, of course--not that most people would know that. The police did, but even they don't know exactly what she was doing here... she thinks.

Ichika stands out, and that's on purpose, but still. It might feel awkward, but she actually smiles once he gets a little awkward with it.

Fancy, huh?

"Yeah," she says. "I'm pretty surprised, too."

But, "That's true," she says. She might even believe it. She looks him over, and indeed--he ''is'' in good shape. Healthy body healthy mind, right?

But he asks what the police wanted, and...

Luckily for Julian: unlike certain others who could come asking questions, Ichika actually trusts him. She closes the distance, walking over with long strides towards the teacher so that she can talk without being overheard too much. he apologizes, but...

"It's fine," she says. "I might need some adult help anyway. I know a reporter, but..."

Pause. "They wanted to know where Tsubasa-kun is," Ichika says, and scowls. "But I think they might've found them already, they haven't been answering their phone..." A sigh. "It's bullshit, though. The news says it was them, but it was the Joker Killer again. Just like at our school."

"...I got some... stuff, about him. Some gruesome stuff. But I'm looking around to try to see if I can find evidence he was here..."

"But I'm not very good at looking into stuff. I don't really know what I'm looking for..."

"But, um. If I can find enough stuff... I'm thinking I can try to clear Tsubasa-kun's name."

"Maybe not alone," she admits, "But I know this reporter lady, and..."

It's easy to get information when you've already laid the groundwork!
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
Healthy body, healthy mind indeed! It's a principle that Julian lives by. Apart from his own sake, it wouldn't do to set a bad example. Though it's not something that's come up much, since most students get a decent amount of exercise on their own. Not to mention, as much as he wishes it were otherwise... the woes that have been brought to his attention are often of a kind that a little more exercise isn't going to help with.

Case in point, after everything he's discussed with Ichika, he knows very well what she already has to deal with. It feels like he would be letting her down if he didn't try to help when she may have landed herself in some kind of new trouble. He doesn't need to be wearing the suit to help people. This isn't a job, it's a calling.

Not that he would have felt okay to straight out ask a question like that of just anybody. He's very well aware of the trust that's been given to him. He's always been a proponent of positioning himself as an equal, rather than speaking from a position of authority as a counselor, a teacher, or even an adult. Ichika affords him the chance to act accordingly, which is very much appreciated.

Which isn't to say that he isn't prepared to offer the sort of help an adult is better positioned to, of course. To that, he nods in understanding. "If there is a way I can assist, by all means... I'm all ears."

The mention of Tsubasa causes his eyebrows to raise, while the Joker Killer moves them firmly back down. All too similar of the previous incidents. He too has his doubts about that being coincidence, just not in the sense of believing Tsubasa is to blame. "...I see. The police seem rather eager to 'solve' these cases in the manner most convenient. I'd be curious to see what evidence they have."

In other words, yes, it's bullshit, Julian just won't use that word. He crosses his arms. "In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if evidence to the contrary is being withheld. If you do find anything, I would recommend against presenting it yourself." Rather overt about his opinions in regards to the police, he realizes, tacking a small smile onto that. "This is a private conversation, you understand. I would appreciate it if you did not tarnish my reputation as an upstanding citizen." Trust has to go both ways. Speaking of...

"Ah yes, you must mean the lady you spoke to about a possible future career path." That's come up in their sessions. "The free press may indeed be your best friend, where it comes to uncovering that which others try to keep hidden."

And where it's about the Joker Killer, one other person readily comes to mind. "You should speak to Shinjiro Aragaki, of Gekkoukan. He is actively pursuing the Joker Killer, for his own personal reasons. I'm certain he would be more than happy to assist in this matter."

He looks apologetic, then, "I'm less certain about the help I myself can offer you. I'm afraid that most of what's come to my ears in regards to the incident at school has been during counseling sessions." Which he can't talk about, obviously. "I would be curious to hear about whatever... 'stuff' you may have found out, however."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
<poem>
True. Ichika gets plenty of exercise, but that's not exactly helping how complicated her life is.

"Great," Ichika says of Julian's assistance. But he already has one thing to do: and that's to ''believe'' her about it. "Yeah," she says. "They want this to be 'gang violence', or 'that arsonist', or... something. I dunno why they don't want to find the Joker Killer, but that's kinda the impression I'm getting, you know?"

Evidence. And... hm. "Right," Ichika says. "...They won't believe me. Nobody will." A pause, and she shakes her head. "Obviously you wouldn't say something like that, so it'd be silly if I said you did."

Pause. "Yeah," Ichika says. "Amano-san. People would believe her--she was already looking into the story." But... Shinjiro. "I'm familiar with him," Ichika says. "And a little worried about him. He does some dangerous stuff. Not the kid-level dangerous we talk about, either." Ichika apparently doesn't think of gang warfare as such a big deal, by comparison to... something?

"Either way, I'll do that." She pauses. Less certain... Hmmm. "Yeah, you can't reveal that stuff," she knows. "But..." She thinks about it.

"Well, I got given this video that was making the rounds before it got taken down--of the Joker Killer cornering this guy. It doesn't show him killing him on-screen, but... You can... hear it."

She shivers. "...But, there is..."

"There is one thing I wanted to talk to you about, too." She hesitates. "But it's scary. I don't want you to..."

Ichika glances away. "...When the cops let me go, one of them said to 'give my regards to Kamiya-kun'. ...That's..."

"That's the name of the boy I was going to marry."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
Belief is easy, in Julian's experience. As long as there's no demonstrable reason to do otherwise, simply take people's words in good faith. He'll admit, this subject matter is a little bit more complicated, but all the same... what Ichika says seems like a fair assessment. It just doesn't add up when you consider all the facts.

"Well, if I can put on my 'outsider' hat for a bit," he says, miming the placing of a hat on his head, "Before I came to work here, I too would never have been able to put stock in rumors that sound as outlandish as the Joker Killer. If this were any other city, I wouldn't have nearly as much trouble believing the authorities are simply dismissing the impossible in their search for the truth."

There is a 'but' coming, of course. "That being said... this is Sumaru City. Everyone knows the popular rumors. Some of them are demonstrably true, and no one finds that the slightest bit odd. One would think that in light of this, the police would take the matter of the Joker Killer very seriously. Why the rush to deny the possibility?"

Not just this time, nor just the police. The incident at Kasugayama... the faculty acted the same way. More than a little curious that only students would speak of it, while he was told not to. Curious, and shameful. "...I'm sorry to agree with you," is all he can say to the assertion that nobody is likely to believe Ichika.

But her reporter friend, that could be a different story. He nods. "If she's willing, perhaps even eager, to report on what no one else will. That would be a very strong voice, particularly in this city."

He chuckles, not very surprised to hear she and Shinjiro have met, even if he's unable to share the full reason for that. "I'm sure he does. He had no qualms about hanging out on our school grounds, with the 'gang violence' incident fresh in everyone's mind. Clearly someone who doesn't care much about possible consequences." He couldn't talk about the ''real'' dangerous stuff that he knows Shinjiro does either, of course. He's just a normal guy.

And yet, when the video comes up... "Oh... that video. I'm aware of it." He'll admit to that much, explaining it as, "Aragaki-san actually requested me to keep watch for anything related to the Joker Killer, so I've been keeping my eyes open, so to speak." That could neatly explain away why he was clearly jogging near this particular occasion, too. ...He'll refrain from commenting on the video's chilling contents. He'd rather not call it back to mind, himself.

Of course, what he didn't have any way to hear about is... Kamiya's name being dropped. "..." He can't stop himself from dropping into 'what does that mean' mode for a moment, before remembering that you need to respond when spoken to, seeming a little shaken himself. "...Invoking his name at a time like that... I hesitate to draw premature conclusions, but... while it might have been a matter of ignorance, this appears to me as an attempt at intimidation. I shudder to think about what that might imply."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Outsider hat! Ichika nods along, waiting for it. "...Yeah," she agrees. "It's weird," she agrees. "...I guess if you were being generous about it you could say that, though."

But...

"Yeah," Ichika agrees then. "I don't know either. But I'm sure there's a reason. Anybody ''reasonable'' would at least admit it's possible, and..."

And they won't believe her. "Thanks for not bullshitting me," Ichika says to Julian about that.

"She's great. And I know she wants to cover the story. So..."

"Oh, yeah? I guess that makes sense," Ichika says of Shinjiro asking. "And yeah, like, we had one of the minor Bosses trying to recruit him to go after..." Pause. "Well, you don't want to hear all that stuff, probably. But he had some trouble on campus until we sorted it out. We want to be welcome to other schools, right?"

But Julian sounds a little shaken too. That's worrying, but kind of fair.

"...It's..."

"They were giving me a lot of trouble before that. Talking about 'obstruction of justice', and... stuff like that. But suddenly somebody came to the door and then he let me go and said that."

"...I know he's... maybe wrapped up in some big stuff. I knew his dad had connections in the police. But hearing it outright... I'm scared," she admits.

"...So I'm working on the Joker stuff. Gotta focus on things I can do, right...?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
It's a painful situation, which Julian doesn't exactly like to admit to. But it's true... bullshitting wouldn't help anything, if anything it would make it worse. He looks sheepish about that, averting his gaze for a moment. "Sometimes I wish I could pretend things are better than they actually are... that's just not my personality, I suppose." With a slight smile, he looks back to Ichika. "I'm glad you appreciate it, at least."

He chuckles a little bit at the story involving Shinjiro. He isn't aware of what all goes down between the gangs, but... Shinjiro seems like the type who would end up getting involved with things whether he likes it or not, just in general. He wouldn't know anything about that. "Well, I appreciate your optimism in that regard. I would like to see our school's reputation improve... it's rather difficult to find others who are motivated to make the effort."

But... Julian can't help but feel a bit shaken. He didn't mean to show it, but... he knows more than Ichika realizes. He can't help but connect the previous information about Eiji's involvement in human trafficking with sway over the police now. This is rapidly becoming just as bad as Kaneshiro. Depending on how high up this goes, it could be worse. He can get lost in thought about such things... but he can't afford to do that right in front of Ichika.

His mouth presses into a thin line when Ichika admits to being scared. It stands to reason, but... he has to say something now. "Well, Kawase-san... should the police continue to give you trouble to the point you feel cornered... I will have to have a talk with them myself. Surely they won't deny a teacher the right to defend their student." He tries his best to strike a confident figure. "I may not look it, and I'll thank you not to inquire about the details, but I do have experience in getting the police to back down from baseless accusations."

Then he looks down, suddenly aware of and feeling undermined by his mode of dress. He clears his throat. "...I'll make certain I'm more presentable than this, of course. But, for the time being..." He looks Ichika in the eyes, leaning forward slightly, impressing upon her, "Do not tell them anything. If they try to trap you with words, the best way to avoid that is to remain silent."

Straightening up once more, he adds, "I'm sure I don't need to remind you to be careful, in both those matters." His more typical, serene smile returns to his lips. "But a reminder that we're not alone can't hurt every now and again. Right?"

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
<poem>
It sure would make it worse. "I don't mind that," Ichika says. "I prefer a little honesty." A smile. "Yeah."

But, "I'd like that. ...But I'm not sure how to do it," she admits. "If you get ideas, I'll listen. I want... Kasugayama to be the sort of place where people can have dreams."

Ichika can see some of it--or at least, did say some of it. But she is afraid. And, well... "...OK." He will. "Thanks. ...Daddy's going to get involved, too..." She hedges before, "He was really mad when Mom told him about it."

A smile. "I won't ask, then. Thank you. that really helps. ...Having somebody in my corner... It's nice."

A laugh, then. "I dunno, the guns might be intimidating," she jokes. "...But seriously..."

"OK. yeah. Even when I tried not to say anything before, they still seemed to get stuff out of me... so maybe I'll just... not say anything at all, like you say."

"I will. ...And it does help, yeah."

"...But they're probably watching me still, so I'm gonna move on for now. Good luck with your run?"
</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 1]]

2025-09-07: Don't Punish Yourself

2025-11-19T19:20:25Z

Fureasei: Created page with "*'''Log: Don't Punish Yourself''' *'''Cast:''' Ichika Kawase, Julian Marlowe *'''Where:''' Kasugayama High School - Classroom Building - Counselor's Office *'''OOC Date:''' September 07, 2025 *'''IC Date:''' July 07, 2012 *'''Summary''': ''A venture into Eiji's Palace left Ichika in a poor mental state, and the road to recovery includes a visit to the school counselor. Even if neither suspects the other's presence at the actual event, Julian can piece enough of t..."

*'''Log: Don't Punish Yourself'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Ichika Kawase]], [[Julian Marlowe]]
*'''Where:''' Kasugayama High School - Classroom Building - Counselor's Office
*'''OOC Date:''' September 07, 2025
*'''IC Date:''' July 07, 2012
*'''Summary''': ''A venture into Eiji's Palace left Ichika in a poor mental state, and the road to recovery includes a visit to the school counselor. Even if neither suspects the other's presence at the actual event, Julian can piece enough of the matter together to be of some assistance.''

----

(|=============== Kasugayama High School - Classroom Building ================|)
-=============================================== Sumaru City/Hirasaka Ward ====-
Nicknamed "Kasu High" by its students and "Cuss High" by its detractors,
Kasugayama High School's poor reputation is reflected in the dinginess of the
building itself. It's been around since before World War II, as reflected by the
fact that its basement was used as an air raid shelter back then, so many of its
facilities are woefully out of date. Many if not most of its students are
delinquents, and the teachers turn a blind eye to all manner of bad behavior.

Its main three floors contain the school's various classrooms for its three
years of students, who are overwhelmingly boys. The boys wear a one-note teal
uniform with black buttons and a high collar, while the girls wear an equally
unexciting sailor uniform in teal with a black neckerchief and a single white
line on the cuffs and collar.

Though some girls attend, their generally rough nature and the severely unequal
numbers mean many of the male students lament their lack of dating options and
seek out girls from other schools. It has a large gym and a huge track circle
out back, and the roof is a decent place for students to hang out.

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
<poem>
It's a few hours post-school at this point, even on the half-day that is Saturday. The day is largely clear and nice. Maybe that's why Ichika Kawase skipped classes today.

It wasn't, but it could've been.

She had a visit from a friend, and in turn visited another friend, and finally feels up to getting out into the world a little bit. ...For real, this time.

So it is that Ichika walks the halls of Kasugayama High School now. She's ''not'' in uniform, which gets a few raised eyebrows as she walks. Instead, she's in a nice enough blue dress, with some geometric patterns on it. It's ankle-length or so, sleeveless, with flats. Her makeup is as heavy as usual, which mostly conceals her red eyes and the fact that she was crying again earlier.

And...

She knocks on the door of Julian's office. "...Sensei?" She asks, in a hesitant voice. "Do you... have time to talk?"
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
Julian did note that Ichika was absent today. He did not for a moment think that had anything to do with the weather. Considering what happened the day before, how could he possibly presume that what they saw there hadn't been a factor? If things are as he suspects, then it would be Ichika who Ogre reports to... and if that reports were particular detailed, it would be little wonder if there would be other things on her mind than school.

Could this have been prevented? Should it have been? Ichika deserves to know the full truth of the matter, though... well, had it been him, he would have at least tried to convey things somewhat delicately. Sometimes he regrets always keeping a measure of distance.

This leaves him with many questions that he has no way to learn the answer to, not yet. Not until such time as he can derive some excuse to talk to Ichika. Or if she comes to see him, of course. Considering her absence, and the fact that it's the weekend, he presumes this may take some time.

For the time being, he busies himself with the leftover paperwork from this week's sessions. It's been rather a busy week on the supernatural side of things, he left quite a bit on the table this time. Best to get things in order before calling it a week, there's enough other unfinished business to worry about. What's a few extra hours when it's for the sake of the students?

He looks up from his laptop, seated at the desk in his office, when there's a knock at the door. He wasn't expecting anybody, but he does tend say 'my door is always open'. If this is a counseling matter then he won't make any fuss.

And when he hears it's ''Ichika'' of all people... well, he'd sooner have to reel in his eagerness for still getting a chance to talk to her today. "Kawase-san?" he even foregoes his usual, quirkier mode of address. "Certainly, do come in."

He rises from his desk as she enters, motioning towards the table in front, for once bereft of anything to eat or drink. "Please forgive the lack of amenities this time... this was rather unexpected." Quickly taking his seat at the table, he keeps his tone neutral as he inquires, "What can I do for you?" As if he didn't already have some inkling.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
<poem>
It's true that Ogre reports to Ichika... in a manner of speaking. But unfortunately, the news was not delivered delicately.

But sometimes things work out. Ichika is here, and she is relieved when Julian answers. When he says to come in, Ichika opens the door and does so, hesitant; she's not in uniform, as mentioned before, and not in her usual bold kind of clothes, either; a dress like this is practically conventional.

"I don't mind," Ichika says. "I'm... really not hungry anyway."

She moves to take a seat, too. That neutral tone...

"I wanted... to talk," Ichika says.

"I, um... I ran into... that guy, last night. My... my ex-fiance."

"It didn't... go great."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
Julian isn't very aware of Ichika's activities away from school, but it would very much surprise him if this is how she typically dresses. Maintaining an image like the one she has, it's hard to imagine that would end once school's out. Proof positive that she's here as Ichika Kawase, rather than the Thorn Boss. Not that Julian had any reason to doubt that she was showing him her true self before.

That being the case, there's no need for any preamble. Ichika is clearly upset, and the cause is obvious rather immediately. He rather feared it would be about Eiji Kamina. But what seemed to have happened...

"...Last night?" But odd of a first reaction, but he can't help it. The way that parses to him is that, while they were out gallivanting in the Palace, Ichika had an encounter with Eiji in the real world. Could that be because of their actions? Did they make things worse somehow, is Eiji aware of what they were doing? He doesn't know all the particulars of how this all works, it's easy to assume this is somehow related.

But he can't get lost in blaming himself. He quickly self-corrects, continuing to speak in a mostly even tone, though it's hard to keep his obvious concern out of it entirely. "I'm... sorry to hear that. That can't have been pleasant for you, to put it mildly. I would hope that he didn't hurt you, but... your tone tells me otherwise."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
<poem>
It's a little more like she used to dress--but not quite that, either. After all, she has the dramatic shadow and dark lipstick that she's come to favor at Kasugayama. But... style is a window, and Ichika just opened a door.

His reaction is a little odd. But Ichika doesn't catch it; she's so caught up in her feelings and it has never remotely occurred to her that Julian could be involved in the supernatural. "Yeah..."

She doesn't elaborate on that part at first. Instead--

"Thanks," Ichika says. "It really wasn't... Um. He didn't... hit me, or anything." Ichika doesn't pretend that her new toughness would inure her to that, for all that he's the reason she started taking self-defense lessons. It's not really... like that.

"I kind of... caused trouble, for the people with me," she explains. "But a friend got me away OK."

She hesitates. "...it kind of brought everything back, you know? How I felt... How I feel."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
It's upsetting to think that he might have some responsibility to bear, but ultimately, Julian has to stay focused on Ichika. He could never fully understand the way she feels, but... that glimpse of Eiji's true nature did add a lot of additional context. It's a way of thinking wholly alien to him. And one that he felt forced to play along with. No matter the reason, the bad taste is still fresh. It's all the stronger for it when seeing the effect on Ichika. And when she starts to talk about it...

Well, all told, he wasn't expecting the violence to be of a physical nature. But he doesn't really get much of the picture, because... Ichika turns it around on herself. Something that he's noticed her doing a lot. Eiji was saying who-knows-what to her, and she's calling her following actions 'causing trouble'.

"...Whatever you may have done, you were acting on the way he made you feel in that moment, weren't you? None of the blame for that falls on you, if the people with you were fully aware of the circumstances then I'm certain they'd feel the same."

He can't help but ponder the similarity there, only serving to underscore the possibility that events in the Palace create a parallel in real life. Off-base as that may be, what he said is what he would believe is true for both situations.

"I may have said this before, but what you feel is beyond your control. While I would never claim there is a 'wrong way' to feel, there are harmful ways. ...I suppose what I'm trying to say is, don't punish yourself for what isn't your fault, Kawase-san." He folds his hands on the table, considering what may be a helpful next step to take.

"Perhaps... if you were to carefully consider his exact words to you, focusing on what most upset you, it would become easier to see how unfair his treatment of you has been. To put it another way... if you consider his words as the weapons he's used against you, you can begin to muster a defense against them."

Maybe the mask is slipping a little. There was never any question that he was on Ichika's side, of course, but he isn't giving Eiji the benefit of the doubt at all. There's no way he could, after what he's seen.

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ichika doesn't know of this conflict, but she does know her own. And she ''does'' keep turning it around on herself, even though she 'should' know better; it's hard not to. Still....

"Maybe," Ichika allows of the other people. "But I still feel stupid. I did what he wanted me to do. I build myself up as separate now, but..."

There are a lot of similarities Ichika might not mention, if she realized Julian had been there. But, she doesn't.

"...Punishing myself, huh?" she asks. "Yeah... I guess you're right. I'm just doing his work for him."

"...Weapons," Ichika says. "Maybe that's..."

"You really believe me, huh?" Ichika says then, and smiles faintly. "I... I'm not used to that, from adults. My parents, of course. But... The police always told me that since the evidence was lost, I didn't have a case. Or that it would be worse for me, if I fought it."

"...OK," she says. "He said something about... discipline. How he was just disciplining me."

"And he said... he might've gone easier, if I'd... if I'd been... having a boy." Even repeating that part is hard for Ichika. She bites her lip again. "I was due in February," she says quietly. "...And I... lost her... in August."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
If nothing else, Julian can be counted on to remain calm. Objective, absolutely not, especially not in this case. But even his reprimands are gentle. It's exactly because he knows how easy it is to start blaming yourself. He's doing that even now, despite how much it pains him to see it in others. Especially now that he's fully aware where the blame in this particular case lies.

However, he still remains calm, smiling serenely in the face of Ichika's self-deprecation. "I understand. Who among us isn't guilty of feeling stupid, about what we did in the moment? You'd have to be exceptionally vain to not be the slightest bit remorseful, in regards to things that we could have done better in hindsight. One cannot put the focus on the past, however. Life is always moving forward, as should we."

It's not difficult to think of what to say, when it's advice you could apply to yourself.

He prompts her a bit further, and then...

''You really believe me, huh?''

A chuckle escapes Julian, a hand coming up to adjust his monocle. "Well, yes, I had rather hoped that would be obvious." The faint smile fades, as Ichika relates why that may have been less obvious than he hoped. "Ah... sadly a tale I've heard more often, and highly suspect to be the case for many others." Tsubasa Seki comes to mind. "Much as I'm loathe to lambast my own place of employment, I imagine that Kasugayama's reputation is not exactly in point in favor, where it comes to assistance from the law."

"It's... part of the reason I chose to come here," Julian admits, in a rare showing of sharing his personal motivations. Considering who he's talking to, he's sure Ichika will get it. "The students of this school take care of themselves, because no one else will. It's impressive, but... I do think it's a sad state of affairs." So he does what little he can.

Though, when Ichika mentions 'discipline', his face falls. He can't help it - those are the exact words of Eiji's Shadow! What on earth is going on?

At least this is easy to mask as shock that anyone would say such a thing. "I... I don't know what to say, that is a terrible thing to say. A relationship is not about ''discipline'', it should be a matter of mutual respect! To use that as some kind of excuse is..."

...These are the things he would have preferred to say yesterday, if he'd felt he had the luxury of honesty. He briefly considers that this may be the wrong person to say them to, but... no. Ichika needs to hear this too, he thinks.

"...This is exactly what I mean when I say that words can be a weapon. Insist upon one's own narrative as if it were self-evident truth strongly enough, and others may be convinced it actually is true." A parallel to Sumaru's prevailing culture - which likely also has done more harm than good.

"He's lied to you," he finally just says it straight out. "Nothing you could have done would have made a difference, because ultimately, it was always just about him. I'm... so very sorry that this was the way you found out."

</poem>
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Julian's calm is something of a rock for Ichika in the moment. After all, he gets this much. When he puts it that way, it's easier to forgive. "...Right," Ichika says. "Forward. That's hard, is all. When my past keeps coming back."

Obvious. Ichika laughs faintly in return. She still can't believe he wears a monocle for real. "Yeah," Ichika says. "We do... but it's because so many people have given up on us that we have to. It's not... how things should be."

His face falls, but Ichika still doesn't understand. Instead she just assumes--it's a terrible thing to say. "That's what I think," Ichika says quietly. "...I mean, I know... I know what they say about me, because I see a lot of boys. But none of them make me feel like he did."

But words? "Oh..." So because he insists so hard, she still believes it.

"I..." He's lied. Ichika bites her lip, hard enough that it goes white. "I..." She thought she was done with them, but tears well back up in her eyes again. "Yeah," she answers. "...Because..." % r
"Because it's his fault."

She leans forward and down. "I want..."

"I want to go forward. But I don't want to forget."

"...I've, um..."

"I've been trying to think ahead, to the future more. It's kinda hard, but... I can sort of... see places to go, now. When I couldn't before."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
If Julian was any less disciplined, he might laugh, instead of just nodding in understanding. Oh, the stories he could tell about the past coming back. He can only hope he's put it firmly behind him, this time. It's a very fragile hope. He can't reinforce his own, but he hopes he'll manage to do it for others.

As much as he had to change about himself, though... there's nothing fake about his tastes, as presented. He just likes monocles, for real! It doesn't even do anything for eyesight, it's simply what he likes. Julian is ''very'' old-fashioned.

Even his ideas of responsibility may be a little old-fashioned - it feels to him like they are, given what he's seen at the school. But that doesn't mean he doesn't still believe in it. He'll take that responsibility even if no one else will. So while he can't speak for anyone else...

"Well, I will promise you this. I won't give up. Not without a fight - if they don't like what I do here, let's just say that I would not go quietly." His slightly enigmatic smile might go better with his alter-ego, but he's being perfectly honest. This is what he wants to do, he won't let his current life slip if he has anything to say about it.

Though as confident as he could speak there, he seems to change his mind halfway to opening his mouth to say anything about Ichika and the boys she sees. He can't think of anything to say there that won't feel awkward.

He'll stick to what he can feel properly indignant about, which... well he didn't want to make Ichika cry, of course, but sometimes tears happen whether we like it or not.

"...No one is asking you to forget. You just can't let it rule over you. If you're able to put it aside enough to start looking to the future, I'd say you've already got a good start on the road to recovery. And what you said just now, that was an important step. Putting the blame where it truly belongs. As long as you're able to do that, then even when directly confronted, he'll have no power over you."

...It's his job to sound professional, but he still can't help but feel like he's reciting a textbook sometimes. It's just... not enough. He'll need to tread carefully though, about helping in... the other way. The whole point is to reduce Ichika's suffering, not cause her even more, accidentally or not.
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
<poem>
Ichika doesn't mind a ''little'' old-fashioned. Certain ideas work for her--responsibility among them. But...

"OK," Ichika answers when Julian says he won't give up. "...Thanks. It's nice, that.. you don't. That you'll do what you can." She doesn't mind an enigma; he's a mysterious foreign adult, after all, and even if she's come to trust him, he's still a mystery to her.

But he doesn't say anything about... that part, and that's fine. Ichika just wants to think she has something on mutual respect, too.

"Mm," Ichika says. "Yeah." Letting it rule over... "I'm not sure that's true yet," Ichika says. "He has... a lot of power over me, still. I'm really scared of that."

"But I am trying," she says. "Maybe I could tell you a little about... What I've been looking into?"

"I met this reporter..."
</poem>

<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
<poem>
"Absolutely," he reaffirms, to doing what he can. More than you know, he thinks. And quietly vows that next time will be different. He wouldn't say it of course, but in his estimation, Eiji is unlikely to stop his harassment without being 'convinced' otherwise. Let him think he's won for now. When his guard is down, and they have a proper plan for dealing with his Palace... they'll ensure that Ichika will be able to move on without being obstructed like this.

"Such things come with time," is what he says aloud, which is still true. Maybe if Eiji was any normal guy, time is all it would take to break away from his hold. But if the Palace was any indication... well, enough thinking about that, for now. The time will come.

"Trying is all anyone could ask of you," he agrees, his eyes lighting up when a new topic is broached. Considering the context, this reporter has something to do with Ichika's plans for the future, not something's been discussed before. It seems the dreary part of the conversation is over for now - which is Ichika's call to make. He's always ready to listen, regardless of the topic.

"Indeed? I'm all ears."
</poem>

[[Category:Logs]]
[[Category:Season 1]]
[[Category:Season 1, Episode 1]]

Niko Kirisaki

2025-11-13T19:31:46Z

Fureasei: Added voice actors~

{| class="toccolours" style="width: 15%; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="background:#000000; border: 2px #FF69B4 solid; font size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Niko Kirisaki'''
|-
! colspan="2" align="center" |
|-
! style="background:#000000; border: 2px #FF69B4 solid; font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''IC Information'''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Full Name:
| Niko Kirisaki (霧崎仁子)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Arcana:
| [[Tarot#Moon|The Moon]] (XVIII)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Gender:
| Female
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Age (Birthdate):
| 16 (February 27, 1996)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Hair Colour:
| Hot Pink (dyed)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Eye Colour:
| Sea Green
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Height:
| 5'6" / 168 cm
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Residence:
| Tatsumi Port Island
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Workplace:
| Variable
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Job:
| Self-Employed
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Role:
| Nemesis
|-
! style="background:#000000; border: 2px #FF69B4 solid; font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''OOC Information'''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Source:
| Persona 3 (OC)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Voice Actor:
| Mariya Ise / Sarah Williams
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Groups:
| [[Strega]]
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Player:
| [[User:Fureasei|Fureasei]]
|-
|}

'''"What's wrong with having a little fun? You should join in!"'''

With the fashion style of a street punk, the body of a professional athlete, and a disarmingly cheerful and carefree disposition, Niko Kirisaki is a creature of contradiction. Which only gets worse once you get to know her, and come to realize her friendly attitude and playful teasing can devolve into scathing rebukes and savage beatings with little provocation, all delivered with that same sunny smile. Harrowing childhood experiments that forcibly awakened her as an Artificial Persona User are to blame for both the strengthening of her physique and the fracturing of her psyche, to the point of loosening her grip on reality. Though still largely dissociated, she's managed to regain a fragile sense of belonging in hooking up with Strega, and is all too eager to lend them some extra muscle whenever needed.

= Background =

This life subsists on fading breath 
Acceptance is akin to death 
Reflections cast show naught but lies 
Behind the mirror I'll find my prize

==Season 1, Episode 1==
In progress!

= Persona =
'''Ate''': A dark blue-tinted spectral entity which appears to consist of only a giant head in its resting state. Its feminine, unmarred, statue-like face is frozen in a blank expression, with naught but empty hollows where eyes should be. Its hair, impossibly long, writhes and flutters like a living shadow, mimicking the appearance of a phantasmal cloak.

The Greek mythological personification of moral blindness, Ate (pronounced ah-tay) inspires delusion, recklessness, folly and ruin. Originally an agent of Zeus's divine retribution, she was blamed for blinding him to the treachery of Hera and cast down from Olympus.

= Special Skills =

Niko's most special skill is being so disarmingly friendly and cheerful most of the time that you may entirely forget about the fact that she is built like a freight train and almost certainly could - and may suddenly decide to - kick your ass.

Her Approaches are as follows:
* '''Crazy Talk''' - You need suggestions? Niko has all kinds of suggestions. Niko cannot guarantee that they are good suggestions, or even have anything to do with the problem at hand.
* '''Just Smash It''' - Except this suggestion, this one is ''always'' good and helpful. Niko will be happy to follow through on it, too!
* '''Happy-Go-Lucky''' - Niko doesn't appear to have a care in the world - whatever else you may think of her, it's hard to deny that her cheery attitude can be quite infectious.

=Relationships=

You speak, yet meaning slips away 
All is lost in the endless gray 
Venture not into this blur 
Lest it swallow all you were

= Soundtrack =

<ul>
<li>Main Theme - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEsbEvj0JeU Neo: The World Ends With You OST - Unpainted]</li>

<li>Strega Battle Theme (Niko ver.) - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdY8dES2ug4 Persona 3 - Unavoidable Battle (Metal Cover)]</li>
</ul>

= Logs and Cutscenes =

==Season 1==

===Logs===

{{#dpl:
|category = logs&season 1
|linksto = {{PAGENAME}}
|ordermethod = title
|columns = 3
|rowcolformat=width=50%
|suppresserrors = yes
| addcategories = true
| mode = userformat
| format = ,,\n* [[%PAGE%]],
|noresultsheader=There are no logs on this wiki that {{PAGENAME}} participated in.
}}

===Cutscenes===

{{#dpl:
|category = cutscenes&season 1
|linksto = {{PAGENAME}}
|ordermethod = title
|columns = 3
|rowcolformat=width=50%
|suppresserrors = yes
| addcategories = true
| mode = userformat
| format = ,,\n* [[%PAGE%]],
|noresultsheader=
}}

[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Strega]]
[[Category:Nemesis]]

Julian Marlowe

2025-11-13T19:31:17Z

Fureasei: Added voice actors~

{| class="toccolours" style="width: 15%; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="background:#DEAD17; border: 2px #000000 solid; font size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Julian Marlowe'''
|-
! colspan="2" align="center" |
|-
! style="background:#DEAD17; border: 2px #000000 solid; font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''IC Information'''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Full Name:
| Julian Marlowe
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Arcana:
| [[Tarot#Fortune|Fortune]] (X)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Gender:
| Male
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Age (Birthdate):
| 27 (October 15, 1984)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Hair Colour:
| Straw Blonde
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Eye Colour:
| Steel Blue
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Height:
| 6'0" / 183 cm
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Residence:
| Tomigaya district, Shibuya, Tokyo
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Workplace:
| Kasugayama High School
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Job:
| English Teacher / Guidance Counselor
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Role:
| Focus
|-
! style="background:#DEAD17; border: 2px #000000 solid; font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''OOC Information'''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Source:
| Persona 5 (OC)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Voice Actor:
| Kazuhiko Inoue / Troy Baker
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Groups:
| None
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Player:
| [[User:Fureasei|Fureasei]]
|-
|}

'''"I'd much rather be a meddler than ignore those who could benefit from a little meddling."'''

Julian Marlowe is Kasugayama High's new English teacher and guidance counselor, a young man from Britain with the impeccable manners one would expect from a self-styled Gentleman. Yet below his calm, somewhat quirky exterior beats a passionate heart that genuinely wishes nothing but the very best for his students, and the will to bring it out of them through whatever means necessary. Seeking to bury a turbulent past that cost him everything, his new life in Japan also ended up including a different sort of adventure: answering the Will of Rebellion and taking on the alternate identity of Vesper, the jovial and over-eager Supernatural Investigator with a flair for the dramatic.

= Background =
Julian is a recent immigrant from London, arriving in Tokyo in early 2012. Though he may not quite know all the ins and outs of Japanese culture, his mastery over the Japanese language and knowledge of the local customs is striking - suggesting he didn't travel there on a whim. He lives alone in a very nice apartment in the Tomigaya district of Shibuya, which suggests he's been doing rather well for himself.

But at present, aside from the impressive credentials that effortlessly got him the position at Kasugayama High, no one really knows much of anything about what his life in his home country was like. Julian doesn't tend to talk much about himself in general, but where it comes to his past before 2012, he's been exceptionally tight-lipped.

==Season 1, Episode 1==
In progress!

= Persona =
'''Raffles''': A humanoid-shaped figure wearing a fashionable dark trench coat over a white cricket jersey bearing the number 17 in red, carrying a diamond-tipped walking cane in the left hand and a cricket bat in the right. His right side limbs are notably inhuman, made up out of a mass of dark tendrils - wrapped around the bat, in the case of the right 'hand'. His face is covered by an iron face guard styled halfway between that of a cricket catcher and a Man In The Iron Mask-style prisoner's helmet, only leaving openings for the eyes and mouth, through which a bright yellow light shines.

Based on the character A.J. Raffles from the novels written by E.W. Hornung, this self-described 'Amateur Cracksman' mingled in high society as the very picture of a British gentleman, admired for his skill at cricket. By night, he would use his mastery of disguise and proficiency at constructing makeshift burglary tools to steal from those he considered undeserving of their riches.

= Special Skills =

Though he has his area of expertise in counseling, Julian has an uncommonly wide range of knowledge and experiences, and is very quick to adapt and improvise based on the circumstances. If there is a limit to his patience, or any way to provoke him into rudeness, it has yet to be discovered.

His Approaches are as follows:
* '''Counsel''' - It's right there in the job description! Julian always has a well-meaning word of advice to give, employing his Understanding of people and situations to steer a situation towards a positive outcome.
* '''Inspire''' - Though perfectly aware of his natural Charm and how that could be used as an asset, generally speaking, there's nothing disingenuous about Julian's words of flattery and encouragement. He's simply helping to boost confidence and bring out the best in others.
* '''Swagger''' - When all else fails, and you have no idea what you should be doing, fake it 'til you make it. Julian is Gutsy enough to try and bluff his way through situations with nothing but false bravado.

=Relationships=

(I'm historically very bad at keeping up with these, we'll see if I manage!)

===Notable NPCs===
* '''Tomoyo Harayama''' - A second year at Kasugayama High school. Julian's staunchest supporter, putting up with any and all teacher's pet allegations to defend him as a well-meaning individual who really cares about his students. Quiet and withdrawn until a few weeks after Julian arrived, now unafraid to freely speak her mind and stand up for herself. Is this the power of counseling...?

= Soundtrack =

<ul>
<li>Main Theme (Julian) - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWYG7lZBc6U Mumford & Sons - After the Storm]</li>

<li>Main Theme (Vesper) - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAXm2FcEUBw The Scarlet Pimpernel (musical) - The Riddle]</li>
</ul>

= Logs and Cutscenes =

==Season 1==

{{#dpl:
|category = logs&season 1
|linksto = {{PAGENAME}}
|ordermethod = title
|columns = 3
|rowcolformat=width=50%
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[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Kasugayama High School]]
[[Category:Focus]]

Niko Kirisaki

2025-10-22T18:26:22Z

Fureasei: /* Soundtrack */

{| class="toccolours" style="width: 15%; float: right; margin-left:2em; margin-right:0em; margin-bottom:2em; text-align: left; font-size: %110" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="background:#000000; border: 2px #FF69B4 solid; font size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''Niko Kirisaki'''
|-
! colspan="2" align="center" |
|-
! style="background:#000000; border: 2px #FF69B4 solid; font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''IC Information'''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Full Name:
| Niko Kirisaki (霧崎仁子)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Arcana:
| [[Tarot#Moon|The Moon]] (XVIII)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Gender:
| Female
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Age (Birthdate):
| 16 (February 27, 1996)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Hair Colour:
| Hot Pink (dyed)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Eye Colour:
| Sea Green
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Height:
| 5'6" / 168 cm
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Residence:
| Tatsumi Port Island
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Workplace:
| Variable
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Job:
| Self-Employed
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Role:
| Nemesis
|-
! style="background:#000000; border: 2px #FF69B4 solid; font-size: 110%;" align="center" colspan="2" | '''OOC Information'''
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Source:
| Persona 3 (OC)
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Groups:
| [[Strega]]
|-
! style="text-align:left" | Player:
| [[User:Fureasei|Fureasei]]
|-
|}

'''"What's wrong with having a little fun? You should join in!"'''

With the fashion style of a street punk, the body of a professional athlete, and a disarmingly cheerful and carefree disposition, Niko Kirisaki is a creature of contradiction. Which only gets worse once you get to know her, and come to realize her friendly attitude and playful teasing can devolve into scathing rebukes and savage beatings with little provocation, all delivered with that same sunny smile. Harrowing childhood experiments that forcibly awakened her as an Artificial Persona User are to blame for both the strengthening of her physique and the fracturing of her psyche, to the point of loosening her grip on reality. Though still largely dissociated, she's managed to regain a fragile sense of belonging in hooking up with Strega, and is all too eager to lend them some extra muscle whenever needed.

= Background =

This life subsists on fading breath 
Acceptance is akin to death 
Reflections cast show naught but lies 
Behind the mirror I'll find my prize

==Season 1, Episode 1==
In progress!

= Persona =
'''Ate''': A dark blue-tinted spectral entity which appears to consist of only a giant head in its resting state. Its feminine, unmarred, statue-like face is frozen in a blank expression, with naught but empty hollows where eyes should be. Its hair, impossibly long, writhes and flutters like a living shadow, mimicking the appearance of a phantasmal cloak.

The Greek mythological personification of moral blindness, Ate (pronounced ah-tay) inspires delusion, recklessness, folly and ruin. Originally an agent of Zeus's divine retribution, she was blamed for blinding him to the treachery of Hera and cast down from Olympus.

= Special Skills =

Niko's most special skill is being so disarmingly friendly and cheerful most of the time that you may entirely forget about the fact that she is built like a freight train and almost certainly could - and may suddenly decide to - kick your ass.

Her Approaches are as follows:
* '''Crazy Talk''' - You need suggestions? Niko has all kinds of suggestions. Niko cannot guarantee that they are good suggestions, or even have anything to do with the problem at hand.
* '''Just Smash It''' - Except this suggestion, this one is ''always'' good and helpful. Niko will be happy to follow through on it, too!
* '''Happy-Go-Lucky''' - Niko doesn't appear to have a care in the world - whatever else you may think of her, it's hard to deny that her cheery attitude can be quite infectious.

=Relationships=

You speak, yet meaning slips away 
All is lost in the endless gray 
Venture not into this blur 
Lest it swallow all you were

= Soundtrack =

<ul>
<li>Main Theme - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEsbEvj0JeU Neo: The World Ends With You OST - Unpainted]</li>

<li>Strega Battle Theme (Niko ver.) - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdY8dES2ug4 Persona 3 - Unavoidable Battle (Metal Cover)]</li>
</ul>

= Logs and Cutscenes =

==Season 1==

===Logs===

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===Cutscenes===

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[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Strega]]
[[Category:Nemesis]]